


Into The Black - Part 3 (The Reckoning)

by angelholme



Series: Into The Black [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-25
Updated: 2013-01-15
Packaged: 2017-11-02 12:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 121,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/369040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelholme/pseuds/angelholme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the aftermath of the end of The Tri-Wizard Tournament, Hermione leads The Chosen in to battle against Dumbledore, The Ministry and IT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer**
> 
> Harry Potter (et al) belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> "IT" (et al) belong to Stephen King.
> 
> Penelope Bailey belongs to Mike Resnick.
> 
> "V" (et al) belongs to Alan Moore.
> 
> The Alien belongs to Dan O'Bannon (as far as I am aware).
> 
> Middle Earth (et al) belongs to JRR Tolkien.
> 
> Narnia (et al) belongs to CS Lewis.
> 
> Zelda (et al) belongs to Nintendo.
> 
> The story belongs to me, and I would take it badly should you claim it as your own, or attempt to profit from it in any way. You can repost it on other sites, but you must post the entire story as is, with no modifications (including the complete text of this disclaimer).
> 
> In addition, I borrow/steal a lot of phrases & quotes that I have stolen from various books, shows and movies. However, as I haven't written this story yet, it would be folly to attempt to guess what they will be :)
> 
> The same also applies to any characters that aren't mine (aside from those listed above) - they remain the property of their original owners, and I am merely inviting them over to play for a while.
> 
> In both cases, I am also not going to disclaim them at the start, because (in some cases) it will spoil the surprise :)
> 
> Finally - there will be a more complete disclaimer at the end of the story, where hopefully I will be able to attribute my sources in much more detail.
> 
> **Notes**
> 
> As you will have gathered from the title, this is the third part of "Into The Black". I would HIGHLY recommend reading Parts 1 & 2 ("The Gathering" and "Darkness Rising"), because otherwise this will make very little sense :)
> 
> While I have listed this as a crossover, you won't find any of The Losers or the other characters from "IT" making an appearance (aside from Pennywise, obviously). This is more of a "what if IT landed in Hogsmeade, rather than Derry" type of story. In addition, it won't be a direct retelling - there is no way to improve on Stephen King's original story, so I am not even going to try :)

**6:01pm, 14th February, 1996**

_The Chamber Of Secrets_

As the light of the spell faded, Hermione looked at her friends, knelt in a circle around her.

"My wand, my heart, my love and my life for you" She whispered quietly, looking at each of them in turn. They each acknowledged her words, then - as one - stood up, coming to attention. 

She adjusted the sword that rested on her left hip, then turned towards the tunnel that would lead them to IT.

"I just want to say, I love you all, and it has been an honour getting to know you" Before they could respond, she started walking forward. 

Without looking round she knew that her friends were following her, and so calmly, peacefully and with measured stride, she lead them into the black.


	2. Part 3 - The Reckoning

**Christmas Day, 1987**

Barty Crouch Jr screamed as Lord Voldemort walked in to his cell. He continued to scream as The Dark Lord walked towards him.

Voldemort stared down at him, then rolled his eyes.

"Barty - shut the hell up before I slap you" Barty snapped his mouth shut, but continued to stare at the figure in front of him with an expression of shock and awe.

"Here's the thing, Barty" Voldemort stared down at him with a slightly amused smile "I will get you out of this place, and give you back your life"

"You will?" Barty asked, still staring at him in confusion.

"I will. But you have to do me a favour. One day I will come and find you again, and ask you to do something for me. It might not make sense, and you might not understand it, but you will have to do what I say, in payment for me getting you out of here" He stared down at the young man, arms folded.

Five minutes of silence later, he reached out and grabbed the Death Eater by the throat and lifted him up.

"You know, I am generally a nice, peaceful man, but Barty - you are trying my patience" He said in a happy voice "Do you want out?"

"Yes, my Lord!"

"Will you repay my kindness?"

"Yes, my Lord!"

"There" He dropped Barty in a heap on the floor "See how benevolent I can be when you do exactly as I say?"

He turned and walked over to the door, then turned back, eyes a bright red.

"I'll be back, Barty, and if you're not ready....." He left the threat hanging in the air, then vanished in a puff of black smoke.


	3. Year 4 -  And The Winner Is.....

**Tri-Wizard Maze, 24th June, 1995**

_"I know you want revenge. So do I. I know you want The Clown dead. So do I" She paused "There may be nothing we can do at the moment, but trust me - the day is coming when we'll go into the black" She smiled "And then we will settle this - once and for all"_

Hermione paused, then turned and looked at The Trophy. 

"So - you want to claim it?" Harry asked, watching The Chalice sparkle in the darkening night. 

"Sis"

"Do you think I should?" Hermione looked at him "I could let The Tournament end in a draw"

"Sis!"

"You don't want the eternal glory and fame?" Harry smiled wryly "Your name could live forever"

"SIS!" Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ginny.

"What is it, Nis?" Hermione asked in a tired voice.

"It's Viktor" She said, pointing down to where the body lay "Or rather.... it's not" Everyone followed her finger, then Hermione bounded over and dropped down on to her knees.

"Oh my god" She whispered, rolling the body over "It's not him!"

"Who is it?" Harry asked, drawing his wand and looking around.

"Sirius Black" A voice came from the edge of the clearing, and all seven friends span round in unison, bringing their wands to bear on the unsteady figure of Viktor Krum.

xoxox

"Professor Dumbledore - where's Sirius?" Remus asked, walking around the area in front of The Maze.

"I believe he is patrolling on the far side of The Maze" Dumbledore replied calmly "That's where the acromantula and boggart are located - I thought it best to put some extra protection in the area" Remus gazed at him for a moment.

"Of course" He said with a smile, then looked at the row of hedges "All four mirrors have gone dark"

"I am aware of that" 

"Do you think we should investigate?" 

"Unfortunately, we can not take any action unless we are asked to do so" Dumbledore sighed "If I were in to interfere on behalf of Miss Doyle or Miss Potter-Granger, it could conceivably cost them their magic" He looked back at the mirrors, a worried expression crossing his face "I will admit to being somewhat worried"

xoxox

Sprout and Flitwick walked along the edge of The Maze, then stopped as they heard a voice calling out from behind them.

"Jennifer? Sidney? What's wrong?" Sprout asked as Hermione's parents skidded to a halt.

"I need to go home" Jennifer said quickly "Someone's triggered the portkeys - both of them"

"Oh dear" Flitwick exclaimed quietly, then he turned to Sprout "Pomona - can you do me a huge favour?"

"Of course" She nodded.

"I have to take Sidney and Jennifer home, so can you cover for me?" He asked, but Sidney interrupted him.

"I have to find Fleur Delacour and Madame Maxime" He said quickly "Before Miss Delacour tells anyone what she saw in The Maze"

"What did she...." Sprout started, then shook her head "You know what - that can wait" She turned to Flitwick "I'll take Mr Potter-Granger to find Miss Delacour, and cover for you until you return"

"Thank you" He smiled, then turned back to Hermione's mother "If you'd like to take my hands...."

xoxox

"Mum!" Ginny exhaled in relief as Flitwick and Jennifer appeared in their lounge. Her mother let go of Flitwick's hands almost at once, and bounded over to the assembled group.

"Are you all alright?" She asked, pulling her daughter in to a hug. 

"Yes" Ginny nodded "Did you find her?"

"Professor Sprout is taking your father there as we speak" Jennifer turned and hugged her son, then looked at the others "Minnie is still in The Maze?"

"Yes" Blaise nodded, holding Sally's hand tightly "Once we hear from Mr Potter-Granger, we'll let her know that Viktor can take The Trophy"

"But she's okay?"

"Yeah" Harry said quietly "If you discount seeing Viktor killed in front of her, she's just fine"

"Mr Krum is dead?" Flitwick exclaimed in surprise.

"No" Harry shook his head "But thanks to Dumbledore...." He looked at Ginny, then at his mother. They both nodded, and he turned back to Flitwick.

"It's like this, Professor...."

**flashback**

_"Oh my god" She whispered, rolling the body over "It's not him!"_

_"Who is it?" Harry asked, drawing his wand and looking around._

_"Sirius Black" A voice came from the edge of the clearing, and all seven friends span round in unison, bringing their wands to bear on the unsteady figure of Viktor Krum._

For a moment, Hermione simply stared at him. Then she ran forward, stopping a few feet short, and pointed her wand at him.

"Valentines Night, where did we go?"

"Atlantis" Viktor replied promptly.

"And what did we do?"

"We had tea with the High King, and watched The Fall"

"And what did you say to me just before we left?" This time he paused, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

" _That I could live a thousand lifetimes, and never meet anyone like you, and that, if I were with you, I would happily see Atlantis fall in to the sea over and over again_ " A huge smile broke across Hermione's face, and she threw herself in to his arms.

"I saw IT kill you" She said quietly, burying her face in his chest "I saw IT break your neck" He tilted her face back until their eyes met.

"It wasn't me, love of my love" He kissed her softly "I was ambushed by Black when I entered The Maze" He kissed her again "I'm sorry you had to see that" She laughed quietly.

"If it were truly your fault, I would make you sorry" She kissed him, then took his hand and together they walked back to the group surrounding the two bodies. When he realised who the other dead person was, Viktor let out a small gasp of sorrow.

"Lucy?" He looked at Hermione "How?"

"Sirius attacked her, and while they were fighting, Pennywise ripped her head off" She replied, her voice thick with anger "I arrived just in time to see IT break Sirius' neck" 

"And you thought it was me...." He pulled her in to a hug, then looked at the others "And you?"

"She summoned us to confront IT" Harry explained "And when we came, IT ran - ran like the stinking coward it is"

"Good" Viktor looked down at the top of his girlfriend's head "What do you want to do now?" Hermione looked up at him, then took a step back. Glancing at the bodies again, she let out a long slow breath.

"We have to find Fleur" She said after a moment "Someone tortured her - the cruciatus curse" She looked at Viktor sadly "My money is that she will name you" He nodded in resignation.

"She'll be telling the truth as she sees it" He said.

"And we have to get the rest of you out of here" She continued, looking at her friends "If anyone sees you here, there'll be chaos"

"We can fix that" Luna and Sally each held up a coin "Portkeys to your living room, courtesy of Professor Flitwick" Hermione smiled.

"I knew there was a reason I hired you" She said with a quiet laugh "Okay - the six of you go to my house. I'm going to talk to Mum and Dad, and let them know what's going on" She turned to Viktor "And once we have cleared your name, my love, you are going to claim The Trophy"

"What about him?" Blaise kicked Black's foot.

"We leave them as we found them" Hermione said firmly "Let Dumbledore explain why that bastard was sneaking around The Maze, disguised as someone else"

**end flashback**

".... which is why Dad needed to find Fleur, and - if it is not too much to ask - the six of us need to return to Hogwarts as soon as possible" Harry finished explaining. Flitwick stared at him for a moment.

"This.... Pennywise - this is the super-boggart you mentioned?" He asked.

"Yes" Harry nodded "And, now that you know, we will tell you the rest once we have got tonight sorted out"

"Very well" He looked at them "Jennifer, Harry - you come back with me. Luna - do you still have the coin?" She flipped it across to him. He tapped it with his wand, then threw it back to her "This will take all five of you back to the edge of the stands. Return to your seats, and wait until you hear from Jennifer or Hermione"

"Yes, sir" The five students linked hands "Hermes" They vanished in a swirl of blue light.

"Harry, Jennifer" He held out his hands "We're going to return to the medical tent - I suspect that is where Miss Delacour will be" They took his hands, and a moment later felt themselves vanish in to the void.

xoxox

"Madame Maxime!" Sidney ran across to the medical tent, stopping in front of The Beauxbatons' Headmistress "I need to talk to you and Miss Delacour - it is urgent" She gazed down at him, then nodded and lead him inside.

They found Fleur curled up on a cot, staring at the wall of the tent.

"Mr Potter-Granger would like to talk to you, Fleur" Maxime said gently. Fleur stretched out, and turned over to face him.

"If you are here to tell me to forgive him, do not waste your breath" She said quietly.

"If he had truly done this to you, then I would be next in line to kill him" Sidney replied in a calm, but deadly serious voice "But it wasn't him" Fleur narrowed her eyes.

"Why should I believe you? You are just trying to protect your daughter's lover"

"It is because he is my daughter's love that I am telling you this" Sidney knelt down until they were face to face "From all you've learned of Hermione, do you think she would ever be friends with someone who could do this?"

"No" Fleur admitted "But I saw...."

"An illusion" Sidney interrupted "Someone was posing as Viktor to get him in trouble" He looked up at Maxime "We can't be entirely sure, but we think it is a part of what we were telling you earlier this year" Maxime nodded in understanding, and he turned back to Fleur.

"I don't ask you to believe me just on my word - you don't know me well enough for that. But please - talk to my daughter, talk to Viktor before you talk to anyone else. If, after that, you still doubt them, then none of us - not my wife, my daughter, Viktor or I - will stop you from doing what you see fit" Fleur gazed back at him, then slowly nodded.

"I will listen, Mr Potter-Granger" She said.

"Thank you" He stood up "And thank you, Madame Maxime"

"Do not thank me yet - if he turns out to be false, then I will destroy him and everyone else who defended him" She said in a voice so calm it was completely at odds with the words.

"I understand" He nodded politely, then turned and walked towards the entrance.

As he reached it, there was a flash of white light, and Flitwick, Jennifer and Harry appeared in front of him.

"Did you...."

"Yes" Sidney nodded "She is willing to listen to them before she tells the DMLE"

"Thank god" Harry smiled. He looked at his mother "Would you like to...."

"No - you can do it" She smiled. He grinned back at her, then pulled out the communications crystal.

xoxox

" _So you think The Reckoning will happen soon?_ " Viktor asked as he and Hermione sat in the clearing, leaning against one of the hedges.

" _I think so, yes_ " She replied, leaning her head on his shoulder " _Most of the signs have come to pass, and while I am not exactly jumping with joy at the thought of going into the black, I don't think it will be too long_ "

" _Are you ready?_ " He asked. For a moment, she didn't respond. 

" _I don't know_ " She admitted " _We are good - better than everyone else in our year, maybe even better than everyone in the school, but...._ "

" _But you only know his magic?_ "

" _Yeah_ " She sighed " _Aside from what you, and the other Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students have shown us, we only know what we've learned here - here, where he is strongest. And even if we do learn more...._ " She trailed off " _I want IT dead, but I don't know how_ " He pulled her tightly against him, stroking her back for comfort.

" _Perhaps you are thinking about this the wrong way_ " He said after a few minutes.

" _What do you mean?"_ "

" _What if you and Harry had to fight? To the death?_ " She straightened up and looked at him curiously " _Imagine he stole your barbie_ " She snorted in amusement " _How would you beat him?_ "

" _I'd look for spells he didn't know_ "

" _Imagine he knew every spell you did - anything you learned, he learned at the same time_ "

" _Then...._ " She paused, lost in thought for a moment, then her face lit up " _I'd try to find out something he couldn't learn. Strategy, skill - something I had but he didn't_ " 

" _And how would that help?_ " Viktor asked, smiling.

" _I could find a way to use what I know in an unexpected way_ " She continued, her voice full of energy " _Like chess players - everyone knows how to play the game, but you just have to learn how to play in a way no one can predict_ " She turned and kissed him passionately " _We can do it! We can beat him!_ " He smiled back at her, but before he could respond, she held up her hand and fished out her communication crystal from her pocket. She tapped it, then grinned as Harry's face appeared.

"Fleur is willing to listen to you before she reports you" Harry said "We're all back, and no one is any the wiser, except Professors Sprout and Flitwick" He paused "We had to tell Professor Flitwick a little about IT, but I put off telling him more until you could do it"

"I understand" She smiled "So - we can go ahead?"

"In your own time" He replied with a nod, then his face vanished. Hermione stood up, dusting herself off, and Viktor followed suit.

"Well then - love of my love - time to get this show on the road"

xoxox

Harry sat down next to Ginny in the stands, and looked over the hedge maze.

"What's happening?" He asked, but then there was a loud burst of trumpets.

"And we have a winner!!" Fudge's voice declared. A moment later, there were two flashes of light in the area in front of the stands, which faded to reveal Hermione sitting down, nursing her ankle, and Viktor standing triumphant with The Trophy in his hands.

"VIKTOR KRUM WINS!!" Fudge yelled in excitement, then he stopped "But...."

"Where's Lucy?" Harry looked at Ginny, then - before she could reply - he jumped up from his seat and starting running down the stands. A few seconds later, his friends followed him, and he saw Cedric running down the far side as well.

He vaulted over the front of the stands and ran up to the two Champions, reaching them almost the same time as Cedric, Karkaroff, Percy and Dumbledore who had come in from the side.

"Where's Lucy?" Harry asked quickly, before anyone else could say anything. Hermione looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Lucy's dead" She paused "Along with... oh Harry - I think your godfather is dead too"

xoxox

"~Fleur~" Viktor lowered himself in to the seat next to Fleur's bed in the hospital wing, while Hermione stood behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder. 

"~Minnie says I should listen to you~" Fleur rolled over and stared at him "~That it wasn't you~" Viktor nodded "~So - talk~" Viktor glanced at Hermione, then slowly reached in to his robes and pulled out his wand.

"~I swear on my magic and my life I was not the one that tortured you~" He said quietly, then he rotated his wand and a tiny white unicorn shot out of the end and landed on the edge of Fleur's bed. 

"~If it wasn't you, who was it?~" She asked, staring at the unicorn.

"~A man named Sirius Black~" He replied "~He tried to curse me with the imperious, forcing me to stay where I was. Then he stole some of my hair and used polyjuice to turn in to me~"

"~Why?~" Fleur looked at him imploringly "~Why would he do this?~" Viktor looked up at Hermione, who had a single tear running down her cheek.

"~Because of me~" Hermione said quietly.

xoxox

Jennifer and Sidney watched the interchange from a distance, then turned to Harry and the rest of the group.

"We're going to talk to Professors Sprout and Flitwick" Sidney said quietly "We've asked Hermione, and she said we should tell them the truth" He glanced over at Fleur, Viktor and Hermione again "She would do it herself, but she is a little busy"

"What do you want us to do?" Harry asked.

"Stay with them" Jennifer replied "Make sure they aren't taken away by Dumbledore, Fudge or anyone until we get back" 

"You think...."

"Black was in that maze for a reason" She looked over at Dumbledore "I can only think of one person who sent him there" She turned back "Just make sure they won't be questioned without one of us present"

"Yes, mother" Ginny nodded "We'll keep her safe" Jennifer smiled, then she and Sidney walked out of the tent in the direction of the stands.

xoxox

Mad-Eye Moody walked along the far side of The Maze, then stopped as a clown rounded the corner. 

"My Lord" He dropped to one knee, bowing his head "I am yours to command"

"You have done good work, Barty - I am proud of you" Pennywise paused "However she is still alive"

"I know my Lord" Moody kept his head bowed "I did my best, but could not find a way to get to her"

"You promised she would die - I set you free from Azkaban, Barty, and in return you promised she would die" The Clown stared at him impassively.

"I know, my Lord" Moody repeated "But she was too well protected"

"She isn't protected now" The Clown said "Find her and kill her, or you know what will happen" Moody looked up and nodded.

"Thy will be done, my Lord" By the time he had stood up, The Clown had gone.

xoxox

"~Thank you~" Fleur looked up at Hermione sincerely "~Thank you for telling me the truth~" She looked at Viktor, but before she could continue, he raised his hand to stop her.

"~It was not your fault, Fleur~" He smiled "~You told the truth about what you saw - I do not blame you for that~" She smiled.

"~Thank you~" She leaned back on her pillow "~Sorry - I'm a little tired~"

"~I can imagine~" Hermione leaned down and kissed her cheek "~Take care, Fleur~"

"~You two too, my friends~" She smiled, then slowly closed her eyes. Viktor stood up, and took Hermione's hand.

" _We should let her sleep_ " He said quietly. She nodded, and they turned and walked towards where their friends were stood, near the entrance.

"How is she?" Harry asked.

"She'll be okay" Viktor smiled "Madame Pomfrey said they got to her quickly enough to prevent any long term damage to her nerves and her mind"

"And you?" Sally looked him up and down "Recovered from the imperious curse?"

"More or less" He nodded "Though I am a little worried about what else he might have done as me" 

"Well - we'll probably learn more about that soon enough" Blaise pointed over to where Dumbledore, Fudge, Percy and McGonagall were all talking in hushed tones.

"Why hasn't he summoned us yet?" Hermione wondered "I mean - two deaths and he is just standing there?"

"Maybe he is trying to get his ducks in a row" Neville suggested "If he is going to accuse the Heir to the House of Potter-Granger of two counts of murder, or accuse the Durmstrang Head Boy and the best seeker in the world of two counts of murder, then he might want to check his facts first"

"It's possible" She nodded "But the idea of Dumbledore thinking before acting is somewhat.... unusual" The others laughed.

"You mother told us not to let them take you away until she and your dad come back" Sally said after the laughter died down "I think she's worried they're going to try to rail road you in to something"

"Headmaster Karkaroff won't let that happen" Viktor shook his head "Neither will Madame Maxime"

"Nor Professors Flitwick and Sprout" Luna added "Face it, Snidge - you have a lot of people who care about you"

xoxox

"Minister, I don't believe you fully grasp the seriousness of this situation" Dumbledore said intently "The Head of a Noble House has been found dead, along with a seventh year girl" 

"I am aware of that" Fudge replied.

"In addition, a foreign student had been tortured with an unforgivable curse, possibly by another foreign student" 

"There is no evidence of that" Percy interrupted. Dumbledore turned to glare at him.

"Who else do you suggest? Miss Potter-Granger? Miss Doyle?" He snapped. Percy stared back at him unflinchingly.

"Sirius Black was in The Maze without anyone else knowing - who's to say that there wasn't anyone else in there?" Dumbledore smiled.

"I have considered that, Mr Weasley" He said in a patronising tone "I asked Alastor to have a look around to see if he could find traces of anyone else" He looked out towards the entrance to the tent "He should be.... ah yes - there he is" The other three turned as the retired Master Auror stalked in to the tent.

xoxox

Moody paused in the entrance to the tent, looking around at the occupants. 

A moment later, he spotted the person he was looking for. With a final glance round, he turned and started walking towards his target.

xoxox

"Where is he going?" Fudge asked, staring as Moody walked in the opposite direction. 

xoxox

Moody slowly slipped his hand in to his robes, withdrew his wand and lowered it to his side.

xoxox

"Oh god" Percy started walking forward, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Percy? Where are you going?" McGonagall called out, but Percy didn't turn back. 

xoxox

Neville saw Percy start towards them out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw the former Gryffindor staring across the tent.

He followed Percy's gaze to see Moody striding towards them, a strange look in his eyes.

xoxox

Moody raised his wand and, with a final prayer of thanks to his Lord, yelled out the killing curse.

xoxox

"AVA..." As Percy heard the start of the curse, he pulled out his own wand and aimed it at a pile of chairs in the corner.

xoxox

"...DA KED...." Neville turned and threw himself towards his former mentor.

xoxox

"..AV..." Moving in unconscious unison, Harry and Viktor threw themselves at Hermione, dragging her to the floor, while Ginny and Sally both pulled out their wands and cast a pair of stunning curses at their Defence Professor.

xoxox

"...RA!" Hermione stared in surprise as the bolt of green light flew towards her.

A moment later, she found herself flat on her back with Harry and Viktor laid on top of her. 

A chair flew over her head, intercepting the curse, then two more stunning curses flew in the same direction, both of them hitting Moody a split second before Neville crashed in to him, knocking him to the ground.


	4. Year 4 - The Return Of The Dark Lord

For a second, the entire tent seemed frozen, then suddenly it burst into activity.

Hermione found herself being dragged unceremoniously to her feet by Viktor and her brother, and pulled in to one corner of the tent. Before she could speak, the two boys had conjured a large, brick wall in front of her, Blaise and Luna taking positions at either end of it, both with their wands drawn.

Meanwhile, Ginny and Sally had forced their way through the crowd, and while Sally pulled Fleur out of bed, Ginny tipped the bed on its side, forming a makeshift barricade. A moment later, they both drew their wands, scanning the crowd for any further threats.

Percy changed course, running over to where Neville still had Mad-Eye Moody pinned to the ground, his wand pointed directly at the retired Auror's throat. Without a second thought, Percy stamped on Moody's wand, snapping it, then - for good measure - stamped on his wand-hand as well before conjuring a set of ropes and handcuffs, firmly binding the would-be assassin.

xoxox

"So this Time of Reckoning is going to come soon?" Flitwick asked as he, Sprout, Jennifer and Sidney walked back towards the hospital tent. 

"Minnie thinks so, yes" Jennifer nodded "And even if divination is not an exact sci...."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" As the sound of the killing curse came from inside the hospital tent, Flitwick and Sprout took off running, with Jennifer and Sidney only a step or two behind them.

A few seconds later, they burst in to the tent to find it in almost complete chaos. Flitwick ran over to where Neville and Percy were restraining Moody, while Sprout and Sidney bolted over to the upturned bed to check on Fleur and the two girls.

Jennifer stopped at the threshold, then turned to see the group in the corner gathered around her oldest daughter. 

She sprinted over to them, nearly tripped in to Hermione as she skidded to a halt.

"What happened?" She asked quickly.

"Mad-Eye Moody tried to kill Snidge" Harry replied, not looking away from the downed Auror "Percy saved her life"

"So did you and Viktor" Hermione said with a weak smile "They tackled me to the ground, then got me out of harms way"

"Thank god" She pulled her daughter in to a hug "Are you all okay?"

"Yes" Blaise nodded "Teeny and your other daughter are looking after Fleur, and - as you can see - Xy has his hands somewhat full" Jennifer looked at her daughter, who smiled back at her proudly.

"Not exactly the test I was expecting, but they all did superbly" Hermione said, grinning widely.

"Apparently so" Jennifer grinned back "And, since you are so well taken care of, I am going to go and find out what's going on, and why it's taking so long for The DMLE to arrive"

xoxox

"Professor McGonagall - could you go to the nearest floo and summon Director Bones and a few Aurors?" Fudge said, still staring in surprise at the prone form of Mad-Eye.

"Is that necessary?" Dumbledore asked in a placatory voice "The situation is well in hand, and there does not appear to be any further danger" Fudge stared at him in slight disbelief.

"And what do you propose we do with Professor Moody?" He asked after a moment.

"I will ensure he is dealt with appropriately - there is no need to involve the Aurors in this" Dumbledore replied calmly.

"Really?" Fudge turned to see Jennifer walking over towards them, accompanied by a friend of the Potter-Granger girl walking a step behind her. Although he couldn't quite explain why, Fudge had the idea that the young girl was acting as Jennifer's bodyguard and that Jennifer had no idea what the girl was doing.

"Mrs Potter-Granger" He nodded politely at both of them "How is your daughter?"

"She is fine, thank you Minister" Jennifer replied in a polite voice, then - in a slightly firmer tone - continued "Minister - is it normal Ministry policy to allow a school teacher to punish criminals?"

"Mrs Potter-Granger...." Dumbledore started, but she interrupted him.

"Because, by my count, there are over two dozen witnesses to the fact that the Howgwarts' defence professor cast an unforgivable curse, and from what I remember of what my children tell me, that is punishable by life in prison, is it not?"

"Unless he was not acting of his own volition" Dumbledore snapped "Or did your children not tell you about the imperious curse?"

"You mean the one that your defence professor tried to cast on my daughter without her permission?" Jennifer glared at him "The same defence professor that just attempted to murder her, I might add" Before Dumbledore could continue, she turned back to Fudge "Even if he has a defence, surely it would be the job of the courts to determine that, not a school teacher who is, from what I can gather, a very good friend of his?" Fudge bit his lip to prevent him from smirking.

"My friendship is not a factor in this, Mrs Potter-Granger" Dumbledore replied "I merely feel that - before we drag a good man's name through the mud - we should at least understand why he would do something like this"

"You want to use your position to put yourself above the law?" Jennifer asked with a polite smile "Because two can play at that game, and I believe I am perfectly in my rights to take this as an attack on my House, am I not?" 

"Yes, Mrs Potter-Granger, you would be" Snape replied almost at once.

"And so I could declare a vendetta against Moody and anyone who attempts to aid him?" Jennifer continued, and Snape nodded again "Now - because I am trying to teach my children that revenge is not the answer to our problems, and that we should let the appropriate authorities deal with things such as this, I am willing to forego my vengeance to allow the Aurors and The DMLE to investigate" She glanced at Fudge "But if that's not going to happen, then I would have to consider vendetta as my only suitable course of action, wouldn't I, Minister?"

"Yes, Mrs Potter-Granger" Fudge nodded, still trying not to smile "And, you will be pleased to know I was in the process of summoning the Director of The DMLE to take charge, so you will not have to deal with this personally"

"Thank you" Jennifer smiled "And now, if you will excuse me, I must go and thank the member of your staff who saved my daughter's life" With a final glare at Dumbledore, she turned and stalked away with the young girl only one step behind her. Fudge watched them for a moment, then turned to McGonagall.

"Professor - not to rush you, but...."

"Of course, Minister" She turned and walked quickly out of the tent. 

"Is this really necessary, Cornelius?" Dumbledore asked him "I am sure there is an explanation for all this"

"And Director Bones will find it" Fudge replied "In the meantime, please do not attempt to compromise the investigation by talking to anyone about it" Dumbledore inclined his head slightly, and Fudge turned and walked off in the direction of Hermione and her friends.

xoxox

"How is she doing?" Madame Pomfrey knelt down next to Sprout and Sidney.

"She's still asleep" Sidney replied "From what I can tell, the girls didn't do anything to hurt her - just relocate her a little"

"Can we put her back in the bed?" Pomfrey asked "She would be better off on a more comfortable surface" Sidney looked around, then shrugged.

"I don't see why not" He stood up "Girls - can you give me a hand with the bed?"

xoxox

Neville looked up suddenly as Jennifer came over, then relaxed again as she held her hands up in front of her. Luna watched for a moment, then turned and walked back to the group surrounding Hermione.

"Sorry, Mrs Potter-Granger - guess I am still a bit on edge" He said, smiling sheepishly. 

"Quite understandable" She smiled kindly "And thank you - both of you - for saving Hermione"

"It was nothi...." Neville started, then he stopped, looking thoughtful "Okay - no, it wasn't nothing, but it wasn't anything other than what we had to do - none of us could conceive of doing anything else"

"I know" Jennifer nodded "And I love you all for that - more than you realise" She turned to Percy "And that includes you as well, Percy"

"Thank you, Mrs Potter-Granger" He replied, not moving his wand from pointing at Mad-Eye's head "But as Neville said, I could not have considered doing anything else" She laughed softly "Mrs Potter-Granger?"

"I was just wondering what Nettie Olsen would make of all this" She said with an amused smile.

"Who?" Percy and Neville asked in unison.

"A girl at Hermione's school who tormented her for nearly two years straight - Nettie kept telling Min that no one would play with her cause she was a weirdo, and that she'd go through life alone and miserable" She paused "The number of times I wanted to smack that little bitch...." She trailed off and shrugged "I was just wondering what she'd say if she knew just how many good and true friends my daughter has made" The two boys laughed.

"Anyway" She continued "I really did come over here to thank you, and tell you that - once again - we are in your debt"

"You are most welcome" Percy replied "Any ideas on when The DMLE is getting here?" 

"Well - now that Minister Fudge has talked Dumbledore out of dealing with this in house, I'd say any minute now" She couldn't help laughing at the surprised expression that crossed Percy's face "Ask the Minister to explain - it's amusing, and yet somehow not funny at all"

"Dumbledore tried to...." Percy started, then trailed off, shaking his head "You know what - it's the Minister's problem, not mine" He glanced over his shoulder as eight people came in to the tent - seven dressed in identical pale red robes and the last in robes of slightly deeper red "And now it's theirs as well" He looked at Neville and Flitwick "Can you....."

"We'll keep him secure" Flitwick responded with a curt nod.

"Thanks" Percy grinned, then turned back to Jennifer "Mrs Potter-Granger - would you like to meet Director Bones?"

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, when the hospital tent had noticeably fewer people in it, Director Bones called for order.

"While there will be a formal investigation held at The Ministry, I think it best to get a clear idea of what happened this evening - both during The Third Task and afterwards" She said in a commanding voice "Consequently I want everyone to consider themselves under oath when making your statements. With the exception of the prisoner, I will not use veritaserum on anyone, but should I find out later that you lied, I will not hesitate to bring the full force of my office to bear - is that clear?" Everyone nodded.

"Very well. Viktor Krum?" Viktor stood up "Do you have any objection to making a statement?"

"No, Madame Director" He replied.

"Then can you tell us.... oh what is it now?" She turned as one of the Aurors guarding Moody let out a yelp of surprise.

"It's the prisoner, Director - he's.... changing" In an instant, all the other Aurors, along with most of the staff and some of the students, had their wands out. Everyone watched in rapt fascination as Moody's face began to morph in to another.

"More polyjuice?" Hermione asked, glancing across the body in the far corner.

"Seems so" Jennifer nodded "And if this turns out to be Professor Lupin, I'm going to rip his bloody balls off" Hermione let out a choking cough and stared at her mum.

"MOTHER!" She hissed, but Jennifer merely grinned.

"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend" She replied, then turned back as Moody finished his transformation and - in his place - stood a young man, hands bound in front of him, wearing a gleeful expression.

"No...." Fudge stared in disbelief at the figure that now stood before them "It can't be - he died eight years ago"

"Who is it?" Sidney called out.

"Bartemius Crouch Junior" Bones replied in an agitated voice "He was convicted of being a Death Eater, but, as Minister Fudge said, records show he died in Azkaban in 1987"

"Your records are wrong" Barty Crouch Jr let out a low chuckle "My mother took my place, and died in my stead - I was released by my Lord" He turned his head slowly until he was staring at Hermione "Released so, when the time came, I could kill you" 

"Why?" Bones asked.

"I stayed faithful - I stayed hidden until my time came, and then I made my move" He chuckled again "Your name in The Goblet - a year of strife to make you suffer, to break you"

"Where is Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked.

"But you survived - my Lord was most vexed that you lived, and bade me fulfil my vow" He laughed "But you survived, so now my Lord will deal with you himself" Hermione slowly got to her feet, staring back at him.

"Bring it on" She said calmly "I can take anything your Lord can dish out, and return it threefold" Crouch Jr stared back at her, an amused grin spreading across his face.

"You've got heart, little girl, and you've got guts" He said "And my Lord is going to enjoy ripping them out!" He threw his head back and laughed "You are going to wish you died!" He raised his hands, then pushed them together and collapsed on the ground a moment later.

"Poppy!" Flitwick cried, and the healer pushed her way to the front, and ran over to where Crouch Jr was laid. She pulled out her wand and ran one or two charms, then looked up at Bones.

"I'm sorry Director, but he's dead"

xoxox

The next morning, Dumbledore stood up to address the students at breakfast. 

"In light of the events of yesterday, The Board of Governors and myself, in consultation with The Ministry, have decided to end the school year early. Hogwarts will remain open for three more days, so your parents may come and pick you up, should they so desire, and The Hogwarts Express will depart on Wednesday morning for everyone else" He paused to allow a murmur of discussion pass through The Hall. As he did, he thought back to the conversation that had taken place the night before.

_After Crouch Jr's death, Director Bones had taken possession of the three bodies, and returned to The DMLE leaving the Aurors to take statements._

_Dumbledore had dismissed everyone else, and he and Fudge had gone back to Dumbledore's office._

_"He has not returned, Albus" Fudge said firmly "And I will not allow you to spread fear and terror on the word of a madman"_

_"Lord Voldemort is back, Cornelius" Dumbledore insisted "And if we are to protect the public, and the students, then they should be informed of this"_

_"Where is your proof?" Fudge demanded "Barty was a raving lunatic - his mind broken by the time he spent in Azkaban. There is no reason to believe anything he said was true" He paused "I am as concerned about the safety of the public and the children as you, but I see no benefit in whipping up a.... a phantom menace to scare them with. Do I make myself clear?"_

_"Yes, Minister" Dumbledore nodded._

"We have lost one our best and brightest" He continued in a calmer tone "Lucinda Doyle was a model student - she set a standard that we should all aspire to" He looked at the Hufflepuff table, and was only mildly surprised to find Cedric sat with Fleur, Viktor and Hermione "Her loss is a grievous one, for her family, for the school and for our world in general. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her" He picked up his goblet "To Miss Lucinda Doyle" Her name reverberated through The Hall as the entire student body echoed his toast.

_"There is also the question of how Sirius Black ended up in The Maze, Albus" Fudge continued "I understand you assigned him to the group patrolling the perimeter?"_

_"Yes, Minister" Dumbledore sighed "With the number of dangerous and dark creatures, I thought it best to have as many people on patrol as possible"_

_"So how did he end up dead by The Trophy?" Fudge asked "Why would he have entered The Maze at all?"_

_"I am afraid I have no explanation at the moment, Minister" Dumbledore replied "I know that Minerva and Filius went in to retrieve Miss Delacour when she signalled she was in danger, but there were no more signals after that" He paused "Perhaps....."_

_"Perhaps what?"_

_"Sirius came from a long tradition of blood purists, Minister, and with the exception of his aunt Andromeda, every member of his family became a Death Eater"_

_"But we questioned him on that a year ago - he said, under veritaserum, that he was not a follower of You Know Who"_

_"Sirius was a skilled occlumencer - part of his training as an Auror. While it is unusual, it is not impossible he could have learned to resist the effects of the potion" Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully "It would also explain the rumours about him posing as Mr Krum and cursing Miss Delacour - perhaps he was trying to get to Mr Potter-Granger through his sister" Fudge eyed him carefully, then let out a long sigh._

_"I am not convinced, Albus, but I will ask Amelia to investigate that further" He paused "Would you also like me to ask her to provide protection for The Express?"_

_"That might be wise, yes"_

"The Ministry don't want you to know how she died - they would prefer to leave you in the dark, but I think you deserve to know the truth" He paused "Lucinda Doyle was murdered! By Sirius Black! On the orders of Lord Voldemort!" There was stunned silence throughout The Great Hall, although he noticed Cedric and Hermione exchanging a few words at the end of The Hufflepuff table.

"While it can not be denied that - with Lord Voldemort's return - we face dark times ahead, but I am confident that if we keep our nerve, if we remain united and if we all work together, we shall prevail" 

xoxox

"Minister" Percy stood at the entrance to Fudge's office, hands behind his back. Fudge looked up.

"Mr Weasley - come in" He gestured to the chair "How are you feeling today?" Percy looked at him curiously "After last night?"

"Oh" Percy smiled "Still a little shocked, I think" He blushed "I have never saved someone's life before - it's.... a strange feeling"

"It's something you never get used to" Fudge replied quietly.

"Have you...."

"No, not exactly" Fudge shook his head "But the fact that a choice you make - a decision you take - can directly alter someone else's future?" He leaned back in his chair "But anyway - what can I do for you this morning, Mr Weasley?"

"I received a note from Hermione" He handed Fudge the folded piece of paper "It seems Professor Dumbledore made an.... interesting speech this morning" He paused "And there's another problem" Fudge looked up from the letter with a weary smile.

"You do surprise me" He said in a deadpan voice "So - what else has happened?"

"Rita Skeeter" 

xoxox

**TWO DEAD AT CLIMAX OF TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT**

_by Rita Skeeter_

Last night, tragedy struck the grand finale of The Tri-Wizard Tournament, taking the life of the Hogwarts' Champion, Miss Lucinda Doyle.

While details were initially sketchy, it soon became clear that a second body in the hedge maze that was used during The Third Task - that of Sirius Black, a man once suspected of being You Know Who's chief Death Eater but cleared over a year ago in circumstances that were more than a little dubious.

Despite a request by this reporter, the causes of death for Miss Doyle and Mr Black have yet to be confirmed - indeed The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has refused to make any comment on the investigation, despite the fact it involves a Hogwarts' student.

This silence has lead to a number of rumours - chief amongst them that Miss Doyle was murdered by Sirius Black, and then killed to ensure his silence.

On behalf of my readers, and the public in general, I implore Director Bones and her staff to conduct this investigation quickly, so that Miss Doyle's parents can gain some closure on their daughter's tragic death.

xoxox

**THE DARK LORD RETURNS!**   
_Attempted Murder of Hogwarts' Champion_

_by Rita Skeeter_

With the dramatic events of the final Task in The Tri-Wizard Tournament still hanging in the air, Hogwarts was the scene of another shocking event - the attempted murder of the Hogwarts' Champion Miss Hermione Potter-Granger.

Following the discovery of the two bodies at the centre of the maze, the three remaining Champions and their invited guests were confined to a hastily erected hospital tent - one suffering from exposure to the cruciatus curse.

According to eyewitnesses, the Hogwarts Defence Professor - retired Master Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody - strode in to the tent, pulled out his wand and cast a killing curse at the elder Miss Potter-Granger.

In a valiant display of heroics, a number of students prevented a further tragedy by protecting Miss Potter-Granger, while Ministry Employee Percival Weasley used a well placed levitation charm to intercept the unforgivable curse with a chair.

However in an even more startling turn of events, it was revealed that Mad-Eye Moody was actually notorious Death Eater Bartemius Crouch Junior, presumed dead these past eight years. Questions abound about how he could have sustained the fiction of being Mad-Eye Moody for a year, especially in the presence of so many teachers who knew the real Mr Moody so well.

Questioned by Director Bones and Headmaster Dumbledore, Barty Crouch Jr declared that The Dark Lord had freed him, and in return he had placed Miss Potter-Granger's name in The Goblet of Fire, forced her to compete in The Tournament, and then attempted to kill her in a final act of devotion.

A moment later, he used a poisoned ring to end his life and escape his almost certain appointment with the dementors.

In a final twist, Minister Fudge is accused of trying to cover up the entire incident, forbidding anyone present to talk about it.

xoxox

**VIKTOR KRUM WINS THE TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT**   
_Durmstrang's Champion Takes The Spoils_

_by Rita Skeeter_

Despite the tragic events of last night, there is one story to report of triumph and glory.

Following a long, arduous year of toil and work, Viktor Krum, internationally acclaimed Seeker and Durmstrang Head Boy, won The Tri-Wizard Tournament in dramatic fashion.

Using the advantage of being in first place to its fullest, Mr Krum made his way through the maze, defeating the creatures and challenges within.

The Beauxbatons' Champion was rescued from the maze, suffering from as yet unexplained exposure to the cruciatus curse, and with the tragic murder of the Hogwarts Champion Miss Lucinda Doyle, it came down to the two remaining Champions - Mr Krum and the second Hogwarts' Champion Miss Hermione Potter-Granger.

While it is understandable that the tragic death of Miss Doyle and the resulting aftermath might have overshadowed the outcome of The Tournament a little, this reporter wonders if the panel of judges has questioned the version of events provided by both Miss Potter-Granger and Mr Krum, given that their intimate relationship is public knowledge.

There is also the surprising convenience of the "mildly sprained ankle" Miss Potter-Granger claims prevented her from beating her boyfriend to The Trophy - Tournament rules prevent collusion between Champions during the tasks, and yet the judges seem strangely uninterested in the final, climactic events.

xoxox

Hermione finished reading the paper, then gently closed it, folded it in two and laid it down on the bench between her and Cedric.

"So - now I know the official version, are you willing to tell me the truth?" He asked softly. She gazed back at him, then sighed.

"How about I tell you as much as I can, with an ironclad promise that if you come back a year from today, I will tell you the rest?" She replied.

"You can't tell me now?" He looked at her curiously. She bit her lip, then shook her head "May I ask why?" He asked kindly. 

"Because while knowing the truth might set you free, it might also get you killed" She said simply, then reached out and took his hand "I'm truly sorry for Lucy's death - she was a good friend to me, and someone I admired greatly" He nodded "So I will tell you what I may, if you promise not to ask me any more" He looked at her for a few moments, then nodded. She smiled.

"Lucy wasn't killed by Sirius, or by Voldemort" She said quietly "Voldemort died on the night he came for my brother, and he is not coming back"

"So who did kill her? And who killed Sirius?"

"That's the part I can't tell you" She squeezed his hand "But me, and my friends, are going to make it pay. For Lucy, for Colin, for Cho.... even for Lockhart" She closed her eyes, whispering a silent prayer. 

"Is this the same thing Moody was talking about?" He asked. She opened her eyes and nodded.

"Moody, or should I say Crouch, was in its thrall"

"But Sirius wasn't?"

"I don't think so, no" She shook her head.

"Then why was he there?" She looked him square in the eye.

"If I tell you my theory - and it is only a theory - you have to promise to keep it to yourself, and not do anything about it" He nodded "I think he was there to discredit Viktor"

"Krum?" Cedric frowned, then slowly understanding crept over his face "Oh Hermione...."

"Welcome to my life" She said with a slight smile "Our guess is that Dumbledore thought if Krum was accused of high crimes and misdemeanours, my parents would ban me from seeing him and The Ministry would ban him from returning the Britain"

"And so he wouldn't be in your life, or your brother's" Cedric nodded in understanding "And I thought Dumbledore was the source of all light"

"With devotion's visage, and pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself" She said sadly "Dumbledore believes Voldemort is back, and my brother is the only one that can kill him. To that end, he will do anything he thinks is necessary to safeguard the future" Cedric shook his head in amazement, making her smile "It's not that bad. I have a family that loves me, friends who will do anything for me, and between them they will not let anything happen to me"

"You can count me amongst them" He replied, making her laugh.

"Thank you, but I wasn't kidding about the being horribly killed part - and I have seen enough death for two lifetimes" She let go of his hand and stood up "If you really want to help me, forget about all this until the 25th of June next year. Go out and live your life - you know she would want you to" Cedric looked up at her, then nodded, smiling.

"Well - with both of you telling me the same thing, how could I do anything different?" He stood up, then leaned down to kiss her softly on the cheek "Thank you for telling me the truth"

"How could I do anything different?" She echoed his words, making him laugh "And now - now I have to find GW. I have a job for her father"


	5. Year 4 - Homeward Bound

"One day a witch is doing some washing up when a frog appears in front of her and says he can make her life easier in exchange for two hundred galleons. The witch asks him how. The frog says he knows of a breed of octopus that lives in the deepest oceans that is very good at washing dishes, but that catching it is very hard because the octopus is usually very angry when approached. The witch says that she doesn't believe him. So the frog adds that because it is covered in lime coloured fur it soaks up water very quickly and is not at all abrasive on the hands. The witch asks him what he means, and the frog replies that hands that do dishes can be as soft as your face, with....." The door to the compartment flew open, making Hermione swear as the end of her joke was interrupted.

"Is everything alright in here, Miss Potter-Granger?" A young Auror with surprisingly pink hair looked in.

"Yes thank you" Hermione smiled "Are there problems elsewhere, Auror...."

"Tonks, Miss Potter-Granger" The Auror nodded "And so far it has all been quite peaceful. But Minister Fudge and Director Bones wanted to make sure that you were left undisturbed, especially after.... well - they just asked us to keep an eye on you"

"Thank you" Hermione replied, blushing slightly "And while I do appreciate the extra protection, there are students who are less capable of taking care of themselves, and I would rather...." She stopped as Tonks held up her hands.

"Say no more" She grinned "I can see why Weasley likes you, Miss Potter-Granger" Before Hermione could reply, Tonks ducked out of the compartment and closed the door. Hermione leaned back in her seat, smiling softly.

"Father wrote to me this morning" Luna said after a moment "The interview is going to be published in tomorrow's edition" Hermione grinned.

"Just the stuff about Minister Fudge, Voldemort and Sirius, right?" She asked, and Luna nodded.

"I know that a large number of people don't consider him a proper journalist, but he does know his stuff" She said seriously "And he knows that trying to implicate Dumbledore in torture and attempted murder won't have any effect, and that writing about IT will have even less"

"Hopefully the story will keep Minister Fudge in office - I have a feeling we'll need that extra help before this all ends" Hermione looked around at the others, then realised Ginny was staring out of the window "Nis?"

"He's not there" She said, pointing to the embankment. They all turned to look, and realised she was right - The Clown was missing from his usual spot.

"You don't think he's left to be a florist?" Blaise asked hopefully.

"Or to finish his collection of ceramic unicorns?" Sally added, smirking. Hermione laughed.

"Somehow he doesn't strike me as the unicorn type" She said, still grinning "But maybe...." She paused "Maybe it's scared?" 

xoxox

Nearly two miles below the empty embankment, The Clown paced back and forth in its lair. 

For the first time in forever, he was.... concerned. The year had supposed to have been an orgy of torment and pain, with torture and death waiting around every corner.

Instead the little bitch had survived it all - not just survived, but actually prospered. She and the losers she hung around with had learned more, made more friends and - as much as he hated to admit it - were stronger and more confident than they had been a year before.

He wasn't scared, of course. He was eternal and undying. He had survived the fiery destruction of his own planet, survived countless millennia in the cold darkness of space, survived the inferno of birth as he crashed in to this planet many aeons before and survived everything the planet had thrown at him. The idea that these seven children - no matter how powerful or strong they might become - could ever be a threat to him - was laughable.

And yet.....

They were still alive. Despite all his plans, his manipulations, his schemes, they were still alive.

This would not do. While they had proved suitable entertainment over the last four years, it was time to bring this to an end. 

Time to bring his three agents in to the field and let them loose on the little bastards.

Time to destroy their group once and for all.

He stopped pacing, and smiled.

It was time to go work.


	6. Hogwarts : An Unofficial History, Part 4

The events of The Tri-Wizard Tournament were a very good example of the more aggressive side of Pennywise's tactics.

Murdering two people in cold blood was more or less IT's usual mode of operation, but the manipulation of a third into attempting to kill a fourth seemed, at the time, more unusual.

But from what we have discovered since that fateful night, Pennywise was a master of manipulation, and preferred it to all out, direct attack.

A fact we would see demonstrated the following February just before we went down into the tunnels beneath the school. 

And forty years before, he gave a much more graphic - and violent - demonstration.

**The MBRG**

After learning his lessons at Pennywise's knee, Grindelwald went on to launch a magical war that engulfed most of Europe and took nearly fifteen hundred lives. The only reason that the muggles didn't notice the wide scale slaughter was that they were already deeply involved in wide scale slaughter of their own.

During the war, The Ministry recruited a large number of Aurors for protection and defence, putting muggle-borns in to the positions of power they had never occupied before. Pureblood society objected, of course, but given the number of attacks that were occurring, they really had very little choice - it was accept the situation, or risk being murdered in their beds.

And then, the war ended. According to the legend, The Great and Powerful Dumbledore fought his way through an infinite army of darkness and then duelled Grindelwald for twenty four hours straight before bringing him down.

It should be pointed out the truth is slightly different, but that is a different story.

After the celebrations ended, and the need for a large Auror force was lessened, the Purebloods naturally assumed that the muggle-borns would return to their previous roles, and were quite surprised to learn that that wasn't the case. Instead the muggle-borns thought that - since they were willing to fight and die for the rest of the mages, the rest of the mages owed them some level of respect.

Using the knowledge they learned from their parents, they formed a group to lobby The Ministry and demand their rights be respected. They created The Muggle-Born Rights Group.

Founded in 1948, it made a lot of progress in the following eighteen months. So much so that The Ministry was contemplating bringing in a number of new laws granting them more rights.

However none of that actually happened, because in early 1950, an eleven year old girl was murdered and, as a result, The MBRG was wiped out.

_12th January, 1950_

The day that would end with the largest peace time massacre in British Magical History started quietly enough. Jessica Vayron, the daughter of The Minister of Magic, had been given the day off from Hogwarts because she and her mother were to appear with her father whilst he made the announcement about the new equality laws he was signing that afternoon.

She didn't make it to the announcement however, because on the way to her father's office she encountered something quite surprising - a clown in a large silver suit with bright orange buttons. 

The search party found her body with her heart ripped out, and a number of symbols all around. The Director of The DMLE identified them as belonging to one of the more prominent Pureblood pressure groups opposed to the laws that would be enacted later that afternoon.

Within an hour of her death, Minister Vayron met with The Auror Corps, and ordered a raid on the Headquarters of The Muggle-Born Rights Group, with the official orders to arrest everyone. And while there was no official documentation, there is a fair suggestion that the unofficial orders were to bring them in "dead or alive".

Two hours later, a squad of thirty Aurors and ten Battle-Mages marched through Diagon Alley and surrounded the Headquarters of The MBRG. 

There are various reports of what happened next - some say that The MBRG fired first, others say that the Aurors attacked without any warning. 

Which ever way it happened, a fire fight soon ensued, with the forty Ministry personnel attacking the building that contained over a hundred MBRG members.

A fire fight that escalated in to a massacre as a few people in the crowd got the idea that The Minister was using The Aurors to crush any opposition to his policies, and that anyone who opposed him would be killed. As this idea circulated through the crowd - helped by a stranger that no one recognised but everyone could remember talking - people decided to stand up for their rights, and started to attack the Aurors and Battle-Mages.

Who, naturally, fought back in their own defence.

A hundred minutes after the first hex was cast, the battle finally came to an end. Not because one side got the upper hand, but because all three groups were so depleted they couldn't fight any longer. 

The Director of The DMLE and a dozen Aurors arrived to secure the sight, and reported back to The Minister that twenty four Aurors, Seven Battle-Mages and over three hundred civilians had been killed.

Two days later, in a full session of The Wizengamot, the strongest voice of the Pureblood power block made a passionate speech, pointing out that the deaths, the injuries and the violence could all be laid at the feet of The MBRG and their desire to be part of a world they could never truly understand. He went on to say that their misguided policies had stirred up the resentment to the point where this violence was inevitable, and that if they were allowed to continue their crusade, future violence would be equally inevitable.

The vote was unanimous, and the cause of muggle-born mages was set back nearly two centuries, with the after effects of the decision still being felt to this very day.

_Mystery_

The story is fairly well known, and - unlike my story - the majority of versions are based more or less on what actually happened. 

However in all the stories that are told - in all the versions that exist - there is one part that no one seems to know the truth of. One part that still provokes endless discussion and debate and curiosity.

And that is why The Minister decided to ignore all the evidence at hand, and blame the murder on The Muggle-Born Rights Group instead.

There are as many theories as they are stars in the sky, but - as it turns out - none of them even come close.

After three years of looking through Ministry records and while there was very little, I found only one piece of evidence that actually comes close to explaining it.

A short fragment of some hand written notes Minister Vayron made during a meeting he had before he met with The Auror Corps.

A meeting with a man named Bob Gray.


	7. Year 5 - The Art Of The Possible

Hermione looked out of the train window as The Hogwarts Express pulled in to Platform 9 3/4.

"So - I will see you all next week?" She asked, looking around. Four of the students nodded, while Ginny smirked.

"You aren't coming home with us then?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"How do you know I wasn't planning on shipping you and Farm Boy off to a convent?" She laughed as both Ginny and Harry pretended to frown at her "Sorry" She said, even though her eyes made it clear she was anything but "I'm just glad to be home, and away from Him" 

"And the fact Viktor is waiting at home for you has no bearing on this?" Luna asked slyly. Hermione grinned.

"I'm not even going to bother to deny it, GW - I really can't wait to see him" She sighed "He can only stay for a few hours, then he has to return home" 

"Is he coming back?" Sally looked at Hermione with concern "Will you see him at all?"

"He's going to try to come back as often as he may, but now that he's finished with school, his parents are going to expect him to get a job of some sort" She paused "Although I suspect they are not going to want him to follow in their footsteps"

"Into the KCA?" Luna smiled "I can imagine they wouldn't want him doing that" Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Are you teasing me, Miss Lovegood?" 

"Maybe" Luna grinned widely. Hermione stared at her for a moment longer, then laughed.

"Between you and Bex, I sometimes wonder if I will ever find out the truth about anything" 

"Then our work here is done" The two girls said in unison, making Hermione laugh out loud. 

xoxox

"Jennifer, Sidney" Eric Lovegood walked on to the platform, and found a group of parents waiting for their children "I was hoping to find you - I have news that is going to potentially cause you and your children problems"

"Is it...." Sidney started, but Eric shook his head.

"No - it's not IT" He said quickly "Sorry - I suppose I should have lead with that" He blushed slightly "No - this is a less.... murderous problem but one that is equally serious" 

"Okay" Jennifer nodded "What's wrong?"

"Minister Fudge has been suspended" 

xoxox

Dumbledore looked up at McGonagall in surprise.

"Suspended?" He asked "When did this happen?"

"About three hours ago" McGonagall replied "A number of Department Heads got together, and took the petition to him"

"On what grounds?" Dumbledore stared at her in confusion "And why wasn't The Wizengamot informed?"

"The Wizengamot wasn't informed because this is merely a suspension, rather than him being dismissed" McGonagall explained.

"But it is going to end that way, surely?" He replied "The last Minister to be suspended who wasn't subsequently fired was....." 

"Minister Pondac" One of the portraits supplied "In 1321" 

"Thank you, Carradoc" Dumbledore nodded "And that does not answer the question of what grounds were used to justify this?"

"According to my friends in The Ministry it is because of his continual refusal to acknowledge Voldemort's return" McGonagall sighed "Following the deaths - particularly that of Sirius Black - a large number of the pureblood members of society are unhappy that he is refusing to take action" 

"And they hope to replace him with someone more.... pliable?" McGonagall nodded "Very well then - if Cornelius is to be replaced, then perhaps we should look upon this as an opportunity, rather than a crisis"

xoxox

Half an hour later, after various goodbyes had been said at Kings Cross, Hermione and her family headed home, accompanied by Luna and her father.

Once they had sorted out their trunks and bags - and Hermione had had a private reunion with Viktor - they assembled in the lounge, and Hermione looked over at Eric.

"So - Minister Fudge has been suspended? What does that mean, exactly?" 

"There are a lot of consequences, but to make a long story less long, it's like this" Eric paused, wondering where to start, then he smiled "Unlike the muggle world, The Minister is not elected by the public. Instead, he - or she - is selected by the other members of The Ministry"

"How?"

"By popular vote, for want of a better phrase" Eric continued "Whoever gets the most support wins, providing they get more than eleven votes in total. If there is a tie, they either sort it out between themselves, or another ballot is held" 

"Who gets a vote?" Harry asked.

"All Department Heads, The Chief Auror, The Supervisor of The Auror Academy" He paused "That brings the total to thirty one, but there are two more votes" He looked at Hermione "And you're not going to like them"

"Dumbledore" She sighed, and Eric nodded.

"The Head of The Wizengamot gets one vote on behalf of the whole group, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts gets one vote" He paused "However, since The Great and Powerful Oz currently holds both positions, the Hogwarts vote will be given to McGonagall instead"

"They might as well not bother" Luna snorted in amusement "She will simply do whatever he tells her" 

"Never the less, the image of propriety has to be maintained" Eric smiled at his daughter "Candidates have a week to put their names forward, and then two days after the nomination period, they are invited to speak before The Wizengamot and assembled Department Heads. The voting takes place the day after that"

"But Cornelius hasn't been fired yet, has he?" Jennifer asked "I mean - if he is only suspended, why are people already plotting to replace him?"

"Because the suspended Minister has to go through the same procedure to keep his job. He has to prove that he is better than all the other potential replacements" Luna supplied "But since the people he is trying to appeal to are the ones who put him in this position....." She trailed off as everyone nodded.

"How did this happen?" Sidney asked after a few minutes "I mean - if it is this easy to get a new Minister, why doesn't it happen all the time?"

"Of the thirty three people who get a vote, the petition of suspension requires twenty three signatures" Eric smiled "The assumption being if a Minister can't count on the support of a third of the voters then he really should be forced to explain himself to all of them" 

"Makes sense I suppose" Hermione sighed "So - any idea who our new Lord and Master will be?"

"Well - it's very early in the process, but my guess is there will be three candidates as well as Minister Fudge" He held up one finger "First is Amelia Bones. If the country wants putting on a war footing - to fight Voldemort - she would be one of the better choices" He raised another finger "On a similar theme, Chief Auror Scrimgeour would be a popular choice" 

"And the third?"

"Cedric's father Amos" Eric frowned "He is popular, and he has some level of credibility, but...."

"But he is the man who refused to hand over our voting rights, because Dumbledore told him not to" Jennifer said with a hint of anger "He's in Dumbledore's pocket, isn't he?"

"Pretty much, yeah" Eric nodded "If he were to get the job, it would be tantamount to giving it to Dumbledore"

"Why isn't..."

"Surprisingly, it's against the law" Luna replied before Ginny could finish "While The Ministry is archaic compared to most modern democracies, they have a fairly good history of separation of powers" 

"Really?"

"Surprising, I know" Luna laughed "But given the number of Dark Lords that we churn out, I think that it is more out of fear and terror than any desire for a proper democracy" 

"That would make sense" Hermione looked round at her parents and Eric "So - what can we do?"

xoxox

Two hours later, Eric set down his quill, and smiled at the group.

"I can run these stories first thing tomorrow morning" He said, looking at Jennifer and Sidney "And I know I have mentioned this already, but...."

"But we are in danger of pissing off the next Minister of Magic when these stories reach the public" Jennifer nodded "We know that if we put our backing behind Cornelius, we risk alienating whoever wins"

"But the truth is he has been very supportive of us and our family, and he is being hounded out for telling the truth" Sidney finished "And since our politicians tell us the truth so little, it hardly seems fair to punish them when they actually do it" Eric laughed, then turned to his daughter.

"Sweetheart - I'm going back to the office. If you want to stay, I can come back and get you later?"

"Oh - there's no need, Mr Lovegood" Ginny said, smiling "Mum and Dad arranged for the floo to be hooked up to the network" 

"The pass phrase is 'All around I see', but since the floo is linked to the wards no one is getting in anyway" Jennifer grinned "The phrase is only for show"

"So that people think they can get in with it...." Eric shook his head in amazement "Every time I visit, it becomes more and more obvious why your children are so good at what they do" Both Jennifer and Sidney blushed, while Eric gave his daughter a hug then jumped in to the fireplace.

xoxox

The next morning, a post owl flew in to the Potter-Granger dining room carrying two newspapers. Hermione picked one up, while Harry took the other.

"Anything good in the papers?" Ginny asked with a slight grin.

"Well - Mr Lovegood published the stories as he said" Hermione said with a smile "Mum and Dad make clear that the house of Potter-Granger supports Minister Fudge, backing him one hundred percent. There is a copy of my interview about the end of The Tournament, including the fact Sirius Black was not under any kind of compulsion spell, and that Viktor was able to break the attempt at using the imperious on him"

"And the other one?" Ginny asked.

"And finally the interview from our beloved brother" She looked over at Harry, but he didn't respond, still reading intently "That Voldemort is dead and buried....." She trailed off "Was he buried? Or cremated?" She shrugged "Either way - Voldemort is dead and is not coming back, and that it is more likely Barty Crouch Jr was driven insane in Azkaban and everything he did was based on the delusional belief in a long dead master" She grinned "It finishes off with a suggestion that Sirius was following Barty Crouch out of the same delusion, and that Minister Fudge is right to play down any stories of Voldemort's return" Ginny smiled.

"I know we should feel guilty about slandering Sirius so badly, but....."

"But he used not one but two unforgivable curses on our friends in an attempt to get my boyfriend sent to Azkaban forever" Hermione nodded "And it's not like Dumbledore is going to contradict our story - he would be in even more trouble than he is now"

"Maybe not" Harry lowered the paper. Both girls looked at him curiously.

"What's up?"

"The Prophet has three stories - one suggesting that Amelia Bones had an inappropriate relationship with her sister's husband and that Susan is not her niece but her daughter, one suggesting that Minister Fudge - in addition to trying to cover up the return of Voldemort - has been covering up numerous instances of Death Eaters in The DMLE ranks, of various crimes by Aurors and other high placed Ministry staff and that he has been using his position for personal gain, and one that points out the close friendship between Dumbledore and Amos Diggory, pretty much suggesting that Diggory is a mindless puppet and that giving him power is tantamount to making Dumbledore the king"

"No mention of Scrimgeour?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Not a word" Harry shook his head "If I were the suspicious type, I would think that someone at The Prophet was trying to rig the election"

"And they'll probably succeed" Jennifer came in from the lounge.

"How is Minister Fudge?" Hermione asked. Jennifer sat down and sighed.

"He's going to resign in around an hour" She said resignedly "We tried to talk him out of it, but he said that he would rather decide his own fate than be kicked out, and that this way it will be a relatively clean fight between the other three" She paused "He knows that he is letting us down, since we went to bat for him, but I told him that we understood - to be honest, I would probably do the same thing if I were him"

"What's he going to do now?"

"Once he resigns, he said he is going to leave the country - probably go to France. He has a few friends there, and he can start a new life away from all this" Jennifer looked at Hermione "Great minds, huh" Hermione laughed, then looked round as Sidney walked in.

"So - I know that you want to do some training this summer, and given what we know about what's coming, I am fall for it" He said, looking at his oldest daughter.

"But...." Sidney opened his mouth, then glanced at his wife.

"Should I take the bait?" He asked with a slight smirk. 

"It's really up to you, sweetheart" She laughed. Sidney grinned back at her, then turned to Hermione.

"But I don't think we should forego our holiday" He continued "You, my darling, have had a very hard year, and - as Miss Blythe learned when she was young - standing by and watching while the one you love goes through hell is also a fairly horrible thing to do" He smiled at his other two children "Not to mention being stuck at the bottom of a deep dark lake" Harry smiled.

"So to sum up" Sidney continued "We are going to take our usual two week holiday in America, but we are going to take it a week later than normal"

"Because...." Ginny asked, but Hermione interrupted before Sidney could reply.

"Because by that time we will know who our next Minister will be" 

xoxox

Cornelius Fudge looked around The Wizengamot chamber, then smiled to himself. 

He knew what people were expecting of him - his years in office had been marked by a lot of bluster and, he had to admit, tantrums. And he knew everyone was fully expecting him to rant and rave at the people who had ousted him from office.

But after his talk with Jennifer and Sidney earlier that day, he had realised that losing his temper wouldn't solve anything, and that it would merely make him a figure of fun - the bitter old man who couldn't let go.

In addition, knowing what they were planning in less than a year's time made him quite glad that he wasn't going to be running the country when it happened.

He looked over at the central dais, and smiled again as Dumbledore got to his feet. The three stories in The Prophet hadn't surprised him, and it looked like - unless Dumbledore was going to do something really dramatic - the country would be lead by the redoubtable figure of the current Chief Auror.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Adrianus Fudge" Dumbledore nodded to him, and Fudge got to his feet, walked down to the floor of The Chamber and waited for everyone to fall silence.

"Thank you" He looked around, then smiled as he saw the representative for the house of Potter-Granger grinning down at him "One hour ago, I gave notice of my intention to resign as Minister for Magic" He paused as a ripple of comment went through The Chamber "I did not take the decision lightly, however I believe that the election should be about the future of our country, and not the past" He paused for another moment "I would like to thank the various members of this august institution for the support they have given me during my term as Minister, and especially the support of the Houses of Potter-Granger, Longbottom and Zabini" He looked around to see Amos Diggory, Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour all looking back at him intently.

"As for the matter of my successor, I am aware that tradition dictates that - as I bow out of the race - I should endorse someone so that anyone who does support me can follow my wishes" He grinned "But since I am starting to realise just what traditions have done to this country, and what they might do in the future, I am not going to follow them in this case, and instead I am going to say vote for whomever you want - I am sure they are all equally capable of doing the job" He almost burst in to laughter as there was a polite round of applause at his comment.

"Apparently" He thought "Sarcasm doesn't translate to the magical world as well as the muggle" He waited for the applause to stop, then smiled.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen of The Wizengamot and Ministry, I bid you farewell and leave you to your future" He turned and gave a polite nod to Dumbledore, then walked resolutely out of The Chamber without looking back. 

For a moment, silence filled The Chamber, then a babble of voices broke out all at once. 

Dumbledore let the chatter continue for a few minutes, then he called The Chamber to attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have silence?" He waited for the noise to die down "The election for Minister will take place in five days time. The first round will be held at noon, and the second round - if required - will be held three hours later" He glanced at the remaining three candidates "While I have no desire to suggest otherwise, I feel that - in light of some of the stories in the newspapers - it does behove me to remind the candidates that there are certain levels of decorum to be adhered to" Diggory, Bones and Scrimgeour all nodded, though Scrimgeour looked at him somewhat scathingly. 

"And with that, this session of The Wizengamot is concluded"

xoxox

"Mrs Potter-Granger - do you have any comment on Minister Fudge's resignation?" Jennifer looked round, then rolled her eyes.

"Harry, Ginny - can you go ahead to Gringotts? I will be along in a moment" She said quietly.

"Of course, Mum" The two children strode off down The Alley, while Jennifer turned to find Rita Skeeter stood next to her.

"Miss Skeeter" She smiled politely "I believe that you bellowed a question at me?" Skeeter stared at her, then smiled an ingratiating smile.

"Given your apparent support of Minister Fudge, and the various stories that appeared in The Quibbler that all appear to throw the weight of your house behind Minister Fudge, I was wondering if you had any comment on his resignation, and who you now support in the election?" Jennifer gazed at her for a moment, then smiled and pulled out a Palantar globe.

"You don't mind if I record our conversation?" She asked. Skeeter's smile faltered slightly.

"Of course not" She replied in a tight voice. 

"Oh good" Jennifer tapped the globe, which started to glow "In regard to Minister Fudge, we have always considered Cornelius a good friend, and an excellent Minister. And while my husband and I are saddened that the country will be left bereft of his leadership and wisdom, his desire to ensure that the election can be about the future comes as no surprise to those who know him well" She paused "We also believe it is a great pity that - at a time when the country needs strong leadership to stop the petty concerns of certain parties from becoming all consuming - the people we look to to govern us should decide to remove one of the strongest and most progressive leaders we have had in living memory" She smiled at the flash of surprise on Skeeter's face.

"As for the coming election, the House of Potter-Granger does not wish to express an opinion on the outcome" This time, she had to resist the urge to laugh as Skeeter almost dropped her quill.

"You don't want to throw your support behind any of the candidates?" She asked in surprise "But the House of Potter-Granger is one of the most influential, and a large number of people still look to it for guidance"

"Even though we are merely muggles?" Jennifer laughed "Miss Skeeter, if you were told you were going to die, and given a choice between been hit by a killing curse or looking a basilisk in the eye, would you really care which one you ended up with? Or if you were told you were going to be killed by a dragon, but given a choice of breed?" She shrugged "None of the candidates are a patch on the former Minister, and whichever one is picked the country will be weaker for it" She smiled "Is that all?"

"Just one more question" Skeeter smiled "With Sirius Black's death, The House of Black no longer has a Head of House. Rumors suggest that, when your son was born, Sirius nominated him as his Heir. Have you heard anything in regard to this?"

"No" Jennifer shook her head "However it has only been a short while since he was killed in the act of attempted murder, so perhaps The Wizengamot and Ministry are still attempting to sort out his estate" She paused "My children and I are on our way to Gringotts - I will ask them and get back to you, if that's okay?"

"By all means" Skeeter smiled, and put her quill away "Thank you for speaking to me, Mrs Potter-Granger"

"No doubt we will cross paths again" Jennifer returned the smile, then turned and walked down The Alley towards Gringotts.

xoxox

Harry blinked a few times, then looked at Zaglog with a bemused expression.

"Could you say that again?" He said carefully. Zaglog smiled a somewhat sly smile.

"When you were three months old, Sirius Black and James Potter came here, and through the inheritance ritual, made you the Heir to The House of Black" Zaglog explained "A year later, he was arrested for betraying your parents and thrown in Azkaban"

"He didn't...."

"I am aware of that" Zaglog nodded "However, because he was arrested and thrown in Azkaban, he did not have a chance to change his will or redo the ritual" 

"And since he escaped?" Ginny asked.

"Two days before The Third Task...." He paused "My condolences on the death of Miss Doyle, by the way"

"Thank you" Jennifer replied, while Harry and Ginny nodded.

"Two days before The Third Task, Mr Black stopped in to transfer about a third of his cash on hand to a new, untraceable account but that is the only time we saw him since he escaped" Zaglog paused "He didn't explain why the money needed to be transferred, but after he died, the money was automatically moved back"

"So I am now the Head of The House of Black?" Harry asked, still sounding confused.

"Yes and no" Zaglog replied with an amused grin "For much the same reasons that you could not act as the Head of the House of Potter, you also can't act as the Head of the House of Black"

"I'm too young" Harry nodded in understanding.

"But you are now the Heir to The House, and you have to nominate a regent to follow your instructions" Zaglog smiled "You can nominate anyone you want - at the moment the House of Black is under the care of the Goblins, and if you wish to leave it that way, we will take care of it"

"What if someone wants to take it from me?" Harry asked, leaning forward "I can see Dumbledore, or whoever is going to be the next Minister, suggesting that since Sirius was apparently a Death Eater, it should be up to The Ministry to determine what happens to his House, not a fifteen year old boy" 

"Firstly, Sirius was never convicted, and consequently can not be legally defined as a Death Eater" Zaglog grinned "Following the actions of The Ministry during the first war against Voldemort, Minister Fudge put a few laws in place to ensure that someone actually had to be convicted as a criminal before they could be treated like one" 

"That was nice of him" Ginny smiled.

"Secondly, The Wizengamot are not going to let anyone from The Ministry, or indeed from The Wizengamot itself, change the terms of someone's will" Zaglog continued "The moment they let that precedent be set, then they will have no control over their own Houses in the future and without that their power will be negligible" 

"So even if Dumbledore or the next Minister wants me to hand it over, they can't compel me?" Harry smiled "I like the idea of that" He paused "What if I want to give it up?" 

"Harry?" Jennifer looked at him curiously. Harry smiled at her.

"You and Dad have been doing a brilliant job, but I think if you had to manage the House of Black as well, it might be too much" He said quietly "And while I am not as up on the laws for the Older Estates as I should be, I don't think I'm going to be allowed to merge the House of Black with our House"

"Almost certainly not" Zaglog interjected.

"I could ask The Goblin Nation to look after it, but I think that there is someone we can give it to who could use it to serve the interests of the magical world a lot better" He paused, then looked at Zaglog "No offence meant"

"None taken" The Goblin smiled back "I am curious to know who you have in mind?"

"I think I should talk to them first - see if they are wiling to take the job" Harry said politely "After all - I will need them to come here to perform the inheritance ritual, won't I?"

"Yes"

"Very well - I will talk to them when I get home, and see what happens from there" He smiled, then looked at his mother "Trust me - this is going to be fun"

xoxox

Dumbledore flung the paper down on his desk, then leaned back in his chair.

What was that woman thinking? Surely she must understand that - now that Voldemort had returned, it was her duty as the mother of The Chosen One to ensure the country was prepared, and that her son was prepared.

But what was she doing? Praising the former Minister for his wisdom and compassion - as if Cornelius had either of those qualities - and suggesting that the three candidates to replace him were a waste of space.

If she had only come down in support of one of them, he could easily have used that to his advantage. If she had praised Amos, he would have used that to get further support for his chosen candidate. 

And if she had praised one of the others, then he would have cited her inexperience in magical politics as reasons why she was wrong.

But instead she had, in one stroke, put herself above the entire thing and made it clear that she considered all of them beneath her contempt.

He sighed, then glanced at the bottom of the article. 

Four years ago, the idea of Harry Potter as Head of The House of Black would have made him do cartwheels through The Great Hall - metaphorically speaking.

But Harry Potter-Granger in that position? He shook his head. The House of Black was far too powerful, and if Harry appointed his guardians as regents, then they would be - to all intents and purposes - the rulers of the magical world. 

He shook his head - this couldn't be allowed to happen.

Picking up a quill, he pulled a piece of parchment towards him. 

If he couldn't persuade Harry's guardians to support his choice for Minister, he could at least ensure that they didn't use their influence to destroy the magical world with their ignorance.

xoxox

Sally and her father stared at Harry in stunned disbelief.

"You want to do what?" She asked after a few moments.

"Sirius made me his Heir, but I am already one of those and have no desire to be another one" He paused, then grinned "So what do you say, Miss Perks? Would you like to be the next Head of The House of Black?"


	8. Year 5 - Black House, White Room

"Welcome home" Luna got to her feet as Hermione, Harry and Ginny walked in to their living room "Did you enjoy your holiday?"

"Yes, thank you" Hermione smiled, while Harry dropped his bags, bounded over and pulled his girlfriend in to a hug.

"I'm not staying - I know you will want to sleep to get over the jet-lag - but I just thought I'd come by and drop off the last two weeks' worth of papers" She waved towards the coffee table "However you have to promise me that you're not going to read them before you get some sleep"

"They promise" Jennifer said as she put her bag down in the corner "Well - Min and Harry will promise, but I think that Ginny won't need to" Luna looked across at Ginny, who was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and clearly on her way to being asleep.

xoxox

Five hours later, Ginny made her way downstairs and in to the lounge, where she found the rest of her family reading the papers.

"Hey sweetie - how you feeling?" 

"Still a little tired" Ginny admitted "But I know if I go back to sleep now, I won't sleep tonight and then tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow....." She trailed off, then shrugged "So - what's going on in this wonderful world of ours?"

"Dumbledore has been suspended as Head of The Wizengamot" Hermione replied, putting the paper down "He's still headmaster, sadly, but it seems that Minister Scrimgeour has been flexing his newly acquired political muscles"

"Suspended? Why?" Ginny sat down, and picked up a copy of The Quibbler.

"Because of me" Harry grinned. Ginny looked at him in confusion "Well - not really, but mostly"

"Could you give me a straight answer, Farm Boy?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Dumbledore spent most of the last two weeks campaigning to have Bex removed as Heir to The House of Black, and he has been none too subtle about it - trying to get laws passed that control how estates are handed down, suggesting that - given what happened last Christmas - The Perks family is not suitable to run an ancient House - that sort of thing" Harry smiled "His last attempt was to circulate a number of stories suggesting that Daniel and Sally were just going to be puppets for Scrimgeour, and that that was the reason why our new Minister wasn't doing anything to fix what Dumbledore is calling a most dangerous and divisive development"

"Wow" Ginny smiled "So that was when Scrimgeour moved in?" Harry nodded.

"He apparently had a quiet word with a number of the more influential member of The Wizengamot, and they voted to suspend him four days ago" He paused "They haven't elected a new leader yet - apparently it is slightly more complex than picking a Minister"

"In addition, there have been a few stories suggesting that Dumbledore was not doing this out of the goodness of his heart - that instead he is trying to usurp the office of The Ministry and The Wizengamot and set himself up as the virtual emperor" Sidney put the paper he was reading down "The stories are saying that he wants House Black to remain with Harry because he would then have some control over it"

"Clearly the people who wrote the stories don't know FB very well" Ginny grinned.

"Quite" Sidney laughed "But Dumbledore's attempts to get Diggory installed as Minister didn't earn him a lot of friends, and, if you look at his actions from a certain point of view, it is easy to paint them as an attempt to take over the country"

"As a reaction to these stories - and to the fact Barty Crouch Jr spent a year teaching students in Hogwarts - Scrimgeour got a few laws passed" Hermione sighed "Laws that allow him to have some measure of control over what goes on at Hogwarts"

"But that's against the charter" Ginny exclaimed "Percy told me that Hogwarts became independent a few hundred years back after The Minister of the day tried to use it to raise an army" She paused "Since then, The Ministry can advise and consent, but not interfere"

"Well - the times they are a changing" Jennifer said with a sigh similar to her daughter's "Scrimgeour has appointed a woman named Dolores Umbridge as the new Defence Teacher, and has laid the grounds for more power to be shifted should the need arise"

"Is that such a bad thing?" Ginny looked at her parents, then turned to Hermione "I mean - the school under Dumbledore's control hasn't exactly been a place of wonder and glory, has it?"

"True" Hermione nodded "But imagine what would happen if the pureblood power block were allowed to dictate the curriculum" She paused, then glanced at her parents "I love you both dearly, and you are the smartest people I know, but would you want a whole slew of muggles in charge of the school, muggles who have no knowledge about the magical world?"

"So you are saying that Dumbledore is the best choice?" Harry asked with a laugh. Hermione grinned.

"I'm saying that the education of our children should be done by people who know how to do it, and that the content of that education shouldn't be decided by which ever political group is currently in power" She said firmly "Politicians come and go, but the education of our children continues" She paused "And obviously when I say our children, I don't actually mean my children"

"I was hoping" Jennifer grinned.

"So - what does this mean for us?" Ginny asked after a moment "I mean - is this Umbridge woman coming for us as well as Dumbledore?"

"It's possible, yes" Jennifer sighed "But not because she thinks we've lined up with Dumbledore" She held out another paper. Ginny took it, and looked at the front page. 

"Oh good lord" She rolled her eyes "He really thinks we are trying to destroy the magical world?"

"Pretty much" Hermione nodded "We brought a Goblin in to The Wizengamot, we took one of the most powerful and well known houses and handed it over to two muggles that no one had ever heard of, we made The Boy Who Lived turn his back on his glorious lineage and last, but certainly not least, we kidnapped a pureblood witch and dragged her in to our cult of revolution"

"And since we are seducing other people in to our little group - the families Lovegood, Zabini, Longbottom and now Perks-Black, not to mention some Ministry workers and teachers at Hogwarts....." Ginny grinned "Is it serious?"

"No - he's dead" Harry said with a slight grin. Ginny turned and stared at him "What? I know he was supposed to be my godfather, but he lied to us, tortured Fleur, tried to get Viktor imprisoned in Azkaban and attempted to murder Lucy" He shook his head "I'm not going to mourn him - not now, not ever"

"I agree" Jennifer said quietly "And, Ginny, to answer your question - we just don't know" She looked down at the paper, then up at her daughter again "So far he's only angry at us - at your father and me - and I'm hoping it'll stay that way"

"And if it doesn't?" Hermione asked. Jennifer looked at her, then shrugged, but then they all turned as the fireplace burst in to life.

"Hey - is anyone there?" Sally's voice came out of the flames. 

"Hello Bex - we're all here" Hermione jumped up and went to sit in front of the fire "How's life?"

"Life is actually pretty good, Captain my Captain" Sally's voice came back, a hint of laughter in it "Did you all enjoy your holiday?"

"Yes thank you" Hermione grinned "And Galinda was kind enough to pop buy with The Quibblers and The Prophets for the last two weeks, so we know what we've missed"

"Yeah - sorry about some of that" Sally replied "I can't help feeling that if you hadn't handed over the House Of Black...." Hermione held up her hand, then blushed as she realised Sally probably couldn't see her "....then you might not have had as many problems"

"It's not your fault" Harry called out from the sofa "And you know why we chose you"

"Because Nix and Xyon already have their own Houses, and if you gave it to GW then your children would end up being called Bluto and Beatrice Potter-Granger-Lovegood-Black and you would risk being locked up for child abuse" Harry blushed bright red whilst the other four burst in to laughter.

"Thank you Bex" He said, still bright red "And thank you for the suggestions for names - I'll make sure Mr Finch knows they are your favourites" Sally laughed.

"You know Snidge will stop you before you get halfway through the first word" Harry glanced at Hermione, who merely smiled back at him. 

"Yeah - I know" He sighed "So - what can we do for you, Miss Perks-Black?"

"Actually - I think I have something I can do for you" Sally paused, then asked "Can I come through?" 

"Of course" Hermione stood up and moved to one side, then a second later Sally walked out of the fire place, dusting herself off. She looked down, then up at Jennifer and Sidney.

"Sorry - I've got soot all over your carpet" She pulled out her wand and looked down again "What the...."

"Ginny found a charm that keeps an area of the carpet clean" Jennifer said proudly.

"Could it work for a whole house?" Sally asked curiously "Cause that would make my life a whole lot easier"

"It can, but you need a lot of power or have to spend every moment of the day supporting it" Ginny smiled then cast a sidelong glance at her parents "And also if the three of us used magic to keep the house clean, we wouldn't have the fun of doing our chores each week, would we?" Jennifer stuck her tongue out at her daughter, making Sally laugh. 

"Why do you need a spell to clean a whole house?" Hermione asked after a moment "Your house isn't all that big, is it?"

"That's actually why I'm here" Sally grinned "If you could all come back with me, I've got something to show you" She turned back to the fire place "Something I think you're going to like"

xoxox

Hermione emerged from the fireplace in to a wide sitting room. It was somewhat dark and dingy, but it still had a certain majesty. 

The others appeared behind her, with Sally stepping out of the flames last. 

"So where are we?" Ginny asked, looking around.

"We are in Number 12, Grimmauld Place" Sally said proudly "We are in my house" Every turned to stare at her in surprise.

"Your house?" Hermione asked in confusion "How did you get a new house in two weeks?"

"Funny you should ask" Sally grinned "Because - basically - it is all down to your little brother"

**flashback**

"The last item on the list is the most problematic" Zaglog put the parchment down and looked across the desk at Sally and Daniel "There is a property that belongs to the Black family - to you - that is currently under a number of wards, including a fidelius charm" He paused "This means I can not tell you the location, nor can I tell you how to access it"

"Because you don't hold the secret" Daniel nodded, then glanced at Sally "The fidelius charm was...."

"The one that Farm Boy's parents used" She nodded "Is it possible for you to break it?" 

"In theory, yes" Zaglog nodded "However, I, and my superiors, are somewhat hesitant to use that method unless it is a last resort"

"Because it would attract a lot of attention?" Daniel asked, and Zaglog nodded.

"So what can we do?" Sally asked "I mean - you don't want us just to give up, do you?"

"Good lord, no" Zaglog replied, then blushed slightly as they both laughed "I am aware I have picked up a few..... unusual speech patterns from my association with the House of Potter-Granger - but I find they do make life so much more interesting, don't you?"

"Oh yes" Sally grinned "So - what can we do?"

"If you would permit me to act in your stead, I can send a notice of reclamation to the current occupier. That will give them three days to get their stuff together and leave the building" He smiled "If they refuse, then Gringotts would hire a team of human curse breakers who would have the full backing of magical law to rip the wards on the house apart" He held out a parchment "I just happen to have prepared a suitable reclamation notice, if you would care to read it over and sign it"

**End flashback**

"The notice was sent out, and while the then occupier put up a bit of a fight, he eventually gave in before it came down to a full fledged legal battle" Sally grinned "He dropped the fidelius, and Gringotts took down the rest of the wards, replacing them with the ones the did for the rest of our little group" She looked at Hermione "I hope you don't mind, but we paid for them ourselves this time" Hermione smiled back.

"I think I can let it go, just this once" She said, pretending to frown "So - who was the original occupier?"

"Ah" Sally paused "Well - that's where we might have a problem in the near future" Hermione stared at her, then sighed.

"Let me see" She started "This belongs to The House of Black, yes?" Sally nodded "So when Sirius came out of prison, he probably would have come back here?"

"Almost certainly" Sally nodded.

"And since he was friends with our glorious Headmaster, there is a chance he let Uncle Albus use this place every so often" Sally nodded again "And given Dumbledore's somewhat.... unique ability to think everything exists purely to serve his version of The Greater Good, he would have no hesitation in assuming Sirius would want him to continue to use this place?"

"To be fair - Sirius might have told him he could" Sally suggested with a slight smile.

"True" Hermione nodded thoughtfully "But either way - Dumbledore was the one occupying this house, until you kicked him out"

"And he knows that you are the new Head of The House, and that you are the one who kicked him out" Harry said. 

"Pretty much" Sally smiled "I haven't seen him since it happened, but I suspect that when we return to school he will have one or two things to say about it" She paused, then grinned "So - would you like a tour?"

xoxox

Harry nudged Ginny, and pointed to Hermione who was looking around in awed wonder. Ginny followed his gaze and giggled.

"I am aware what I look like, siblings of mine" Hermione said with a smile "But can you blame me? I mean - look at it" She waved her hand around the library they were in "It's.... it's amazing"

"According to Andromeda, The House of Black has the largest and most esoteric collection of books in the wizarding world" Sally smiled.

"Andromeda?" Harry asked.

"Andromeda Tonks" Ginny replied before Sally could continue "The middle sister, between the late and very unlamented Bellatrix Lestrange and Draco's mother Narcissa" 

"Is she related to...."

"She's the mother of the Auror we met on the train" Sally nodded "They were expelled from the family by Sirius' father because Andromeda married a muggle named Ted Tonks"

"Did you bring her back in?" Ginny asked. Sally grinned and nodded.

"Third thing I did - right after sending the letter to Dumbledore, demanding this property back and expelling the Malfoy clan from my family" Ginny laughed, while Hermione merely smiled.

"So this is all yours?" Hermione asked, looking back at the library. 

"Yes - it's all mine" Sally grinned "And yes - you are free to use it whenever you wish" Hermione bounded over and pulled her in to a hug.

"Thank you, Miss Black" She said quietly "Because I think we'll need all the help we can get"

"Well - like I said, it will be here when you need it" Sally replied sincerely, then - as Hermione straightened up - she added "But however much you love this, I think there is something that will top it"

"And what's that?" 

"That would be The White Room"

xoxox

"Well - you weren't lying" Hermione looked around as Sally closed the door behind them "This is a white room" She raised her hand, shielding her eyes slightly and looked around again. The entire room was white, and - as far as she could tell - went on forever in all directions.

Which, she thought, was patently impossible - no room could be infinitely big. Muggles couldn't create such a room and magic wouldn't be able to support it.

She looked back at Sally.

"So - I assume there is more to this than just six white walls?" She asked. Sally grinned.

"What did you enjoy most on your holiday?" She asked. Hermione looked at her curiously "Seriously - think of a place"

"We had lunch with Tramax, and he very kindly gave us a tour of the Gringotts site at Disney World" Hermione smiled.

"Was there anything there confidential - something you said you wouldn't share with anyone else?"

"No, not that I can think of" Hermione shook her head "Why?"

"I'll explain in a moment" Sally replied "But first - close your eyes, and picture what you saw" Hermione's eyes narrowed, then suddenly went very wide.

"Seriously?" She asked, looking around.

"You won't know until you try" Sally replied with a smile. Hermione stared at her a moment longer, then closed her eyes.

A few seconds later, the others gasped as the room reformed itself in to a picture perfect carbon copy of the vaults below Disney World. 

Hermione opened her eyes, and looked out across the cavern that had appeared in front of her. 

"Wow" She exhaled quietly, almost reverently. She looked around for a few moments, then turned back to Sally "This is...." She paused, then shook her head "I can't think of a suitable word"

"I've played with it for a few days, and it seems to be our very own Room of Requirement" Sally said in an equally quiet voice "It can replicate any environment that you can picture in your head with perfect detail" She paused "Show me Snidge during The First Task" As she finished speaking, the room around them started to change until Hermione found herself stood in the center of a memorable arena.

"Oh my god!" Jennifer gasped in surprise, and Hermione turned, her mouth falling open in surprise.

"I thought you might enjoy watching your performance" Sally said with a grin "You know - since you didn't get to watch yourself the first time"

"You could have warned me" Jennifer said, watching as the magical projection of her daughter caught the invisibility cloak and slipped it on.

"Oh - sorry" Sally blushed "I forgot you hadn't seen this already" Jennifer nodded, not looking away from the scene in front of her. Moments later, she let out another gasp.

"Emily?" She said softly, looking at her daughter. Hermione smiled.

"The patronus charm is used to summon someone to protect you - someone who will always look out for you" She said quietly, then smiled "Do you want to take a guess at the form my friends summon when they cast the charm?" Jennifer looked at her, then returned her smile.

"Someone who will protect them and always look out for them" She put her arm around her daughter, then watched as the projected Hermione whipped the cloak off and presented herself to the judges "Wow - that was very impressive" 

"Thank you" Hermione grinned, then looked at Sally "May I try something before we go home?"

"Of course" Sally nodded "But I don't think it will work" Hermione tilted her head to one side.

"You've tried already?"

"Yeah" Sally nodded again "We all appear, but that's it"

"Well - crap" Hermione sat down on a chair that appeared under her. Harry and Ginny exchanged glances, then turned back to their sister.

"Snidge?" Hermione looked up.

"Yes, Nis?" 

"What are you talking about?" Hermione looked over at Sally, then laughed.

"Sorry - I sometimes forget about the smartest witch thing" She grinned as both her siblings rolled their eyes "Remember Christmas of your first year?" Ginny nodded "The confrontation in the boathouse?" Ginny's eyes darkened, but she nodded again "Sorry to do this to you, but can you see if you can show us?" 

"Of course" Ginny closed her eyes for a moment, and a few seconds later, they found themselves in the old boathouse. She opened her eyes.

"I'm about to come in from the far side" She said quietly, not looking up. Hermione stood up, and slipped her hand in to Ginny's.

The door on the other side of the boat house flew open, and Ginny stormed in, slamming it behind her.

"Fracking frack!" She yelled, then she turned round and yanked the door open, only to slam it again.

A few seconds later, she span round.

"Go away!" She pulled out her wand, but appeared to point it at thin air.

"You can stop now" Hermione said quietly, and the scene vanished around them, leaving them in the plain white room.

"Where was she?" Ginny looked at Sally, then at her sister "I can see her in my mind - see her so strongly I sometimes wake up screaming - so why didn't we see her there?" Hermione looked at Sally with raised eyebrows.

"I tried our first encounter with GW, but got the same result" Sally admitted "You and I were there, so was GW, but there was no Penelope" She paused "I have no idea why, before you ask" Hermione smiled.

"We - everyone here, the others, even the Dragon, are known magical quantities, for want of a better phrase" She glanced at her mother "Even mum and dad are known quantities" She waved her hand and images of Jennifer and Sidney appeared.

"But Pennywise is completely unknown" Jennifer said "The magical world is blind to him, so the room can't create a suitable image" Hermione nodded.

"That's what I think, yes" She looked at the others "I admit it's a little annoying, but even if the room could produce an image, I doubt it could recreate IT's powers" She shrugged then looked at Sally again "You want to use this room for training?"

"It can produce training dummies, enemies with artificial intelligence - ones that can learn from what we do" Sally grinned "And, for when we get tired of blowing the crap out of things...." She clicked her fingers, and suddenly they found themselves stood on a pristine sandy white beach, looking out on the bluest water Hermione had ever seen. 

xoxox

Over the next four weeks, the group fell in to a steady routine, spending most of their time at Grimmauld Place.

Four days a week, they trained in The White Room until lunch, then returned to the room after lunch for some rest and relaxation.

Of the other three days, they spent two in The Black Library.

_"Viktor gave me an idea at the end of the Tournament" Hermione explained "We can learn all the magic we want, but I am pretty sure IT will know everything the magical world knows"_

_"So you want to learn magic from elsewhere?" Blaise asked, looking around at shelf after shelf of books._

_"Yes, but also I want to see if there is something other than magic we can use" Hermione continued with a nod "Something that he won't know about, because it's not something he is a part of"_

_"We could kick him in the balls" Neville suggested with a grin._

_"Does he even have balls?" Sally asked._

_"Hands up who wants to find out?" Luna looked around as everyone laughed._

_"Okay - we'll find another way" Neville pouted "But once he's down....."_

_"Once we get him down, you can all kick him wherever you want" Hermione said with a grin "But, in the meantime...." She waved her hands "Pick a book, any book..... Bex?"_

_"The shelves painted black haven't been investigated yet - Dad wants to leave the books until he can get a professional to check them out" She said, pointing to the shelves at the far end of the library "It would be best if you steered clear of them, since there is the chance they will eat your soul" Hermione stared at her with a blank look, then smiled._

_"Okay - good safety tip" Sally grinned._

_"I live to serve"_

On Sunday mornings, Hermione and her family went to church, while the rest of The Chosen slept in. And - after some cajoling from her brother and sister - Hermione agreed that they didn't have to work all day, every day, and that it was possible that their friends' families might want to see them during the day, and not just after they returned from Sally's place.

xoxox

"Well - that was entertaining" Sally winced as she flumped down on her sofa, while Blaise, Ginny and Neville limped in and sat down on various chairs.

"Did you know she was going to do that?" Neville looked across at Ginny. She shook her head.

"I think she wanted to give us a bit more of a realistic test" She replied, massaging her leg "Pennywise and IT's minions are playing for keeps, and so far we have just been training as if this were a game" 

"I suppose" Sally rubbed her side "Still - it would have been nice to have some warning" 

xoxox

_"....nice to have some warning"_ Hermione stopped as Sally's voice floated out of the lounge, and, turning, leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes.

"They still love you, you know" Hermione opened her eyes to find Luna gazing at her sympathetically. 

"Sorry?" 

"What you just heard?" Luna nodded to the lounge door "They still love you" 

"I know" Hermione smiled fondly at her. Luna looked at her curiously, making her laugh softly "So you're wondering why their discussion is making me look so sad?"

"It did cross my mind, yes" 

"I know that they love me, which is why I hate putting them through this" Hermione said quietly, staring at the floor "Seeing them in this amount of pain, however little it is, is horrible" She looked up, staring Luna in the eyes "And this is nothing compared to what IT will do to us when we confront IT" She blinked a few times to clear the tears that were coming to her eyes "I'm not afraid to die, Luna, but the idea that I am going to lead my friends to their death - or worse, to torture and pain...." She trailed off, shaking her head, tears running freely down her cheeks.

"We are afraid" Hermione span round to find Sally, Ginny, Blaise and Neville stood at the door. Turning, she saw Harry coming down the stairs to stand behind Luna. Sally looked at Harry, who nodded, then she continued.

"We are afraid of death, and of pain, but we are even more afraid of what will happen if we do nothing" She said calmly "I can't speak for everyone else, but Nix and I are planning a long and happy life together, including lots of children" She glanced at her boyfriend who smiled back at her "If we do nothing, what is to stop IT coming after little Beatrice and Bluto?" Hermione let out of choking laugh.

"We love you, and would gladly follow you in to hell, but that is not the only reason we are doing this" Blaise walked up beside his girlfriend "This creature kills kids - that's something that we - none of us - can tolerate" Hermione looked at each of their faces in turn, then smiled.

"Thank you" She said softly "And while I will not promise you that we will all live through this, I promise that I will do everything I can to see we do" She straightened up "So - who's for a dragon race in The White Room?"


	9. Year 5 - Hermione's Day Out

"Good morning everyone" Hermione bounded in to the room "Are we all ready for a fun day's adventure of shopping and random bigotry?" Her friends and a few of their relatives stared back at her.

"You're pretty damn peppy this morning" Blaise remarked. 

"Viktor came for a flying visit last night" Ginny piped up with a grin "They spent most of the evening together"

"Oh yes?" Blaise quirked an eyebrow at Hermione, who simply stared back at him with a slight smile.

"Yes" She nodded, still smiling "But since this meeting is about today, and not last night, you will just have to contain your curiousness about my sex life until later" There was a snort of amusement from her left - where her parents were stood - but she didn't look over "I know we've discussed this on and off over the past few weeks, but today is the first day we're going to be seen in public -a s a group - since the end of The Tournament" She looked over at Sally "And since you were made Heir to The House of Black" 

"And you think people are going to want to talk to us?" Daniel asked, then rolled his eyes "Of course people are going to want to talk to us" Hermione nodded.

"I'm not so worried about the press" She continued with a smile "Everyone has a Palantar globe?" They all nodded "Then as long as the reporter knows you have one, and have activated it, then I think they'll stick to the truth" She paused, then her smile faded "No - I'm worried about Draco, Zach and Ronald" 

"Ron?" Ginny looked at her curiously "Why...."

"He's been too nice" Hermione said quietly "When you were first sorted in to Ravenclaw, he went mad. And when you came to live with us, he was almost ballistic" She paused "Even when he was being polite, he was still somewhat sarcastic and scathing about your.... your life choices"

"And now he barely says boo to a skrewt" Ginny nodded slowly "You think he is planning something?"

"Not so much him" Hermione replied softly, then she looked up at the assembled adults "Pennywise can't touch us until The Reckoning - we are pretty sure of that" 

"But...." Lusysia asked, then looked around in surprised at the number of muffled snorts of amusement that filled the room "Am I missing something?" 

"Yes, and I'll explain later" Hermione grinned "And yes - you are right, there is a but" She sighed "But we think he can manipulate others to do his bidding"

"Barty Crouch Jr?" Eric asked.

"Amongst others" Hermione nodded "And given what's happened over the last year or so, we think that Draco, Zach and Ron are the most likely candidates" She looked at Sally, who stood up.

"Hi - my name is Sally and I'm...." She paused, then trailed off "Sorry - that's next week's meeting" She grinned as there were a few laughs and quite a few confused faces "Zach was incredibly jealous of my friendship with Snidge and the others, and it's only got worse since the betrothal incident last Christmas" She looked back at Hermione "If Pennywise is recruiting, then turning Zach's anger against us would be a doddle" 

"Same with Draco" Blaise supplied, then blushed as Hermione smirked at him "Not that he and I were betrothed of course"

"Of course" Hermione laughed.

"But he came to Hogwarts thinking that he would rule the roost. Quite aside from the pureblood drivel he has been pumped full of since before he could talk, his father has been grooming him to become Voldemort's right hand man, and that has given Draco a ludicrously inflated ego" He looked at Harry and Hermione "Then you two came along and pretty much became Mr and Mrs Popular" He paused again "Mr and Miss, maybe?"

"Better" Harry smiled.

"Either way - all the power and influence he thought he would wield has come to nothing, and - after last year - I would say you two are the two most.... dominant figures in the school"

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Hufflepuff is behind you because you didn't try to screw over Lucy, and Cedric has been talking to a few people about your version of events" Neville explained "And from what Mel has said, Ravenclaw would probably line up behind you - partly because you are very, very smart but also because you are so humble"

"I am, aren't I?" Hermione said proudly "In fact - I think of all my most wonderful traits, my humility is by far and away the most wonderful" Everyone laughed, then she smiled "Sorry - you were saying?"

"With the exception of one or two Gryffindors, I think most of the Lions would support you as well" Neville continued "Ron has poisoned the minds of a few of them, but the rest...." He shrugged, and Blaise took over.

"And add to that the fact that you are a mudblood, and Farm Boy is The Boy Who Lived - it's easy to see how Draco could be manipulated in to hating you" He paused "Plus Farm Boy gave Draco's inheritance to Teeny - Draco was in line to be Heir to The House Of Black, and now he and his mother have been left with nothing. Less than nothing, to be honest - once Teeny expelled them, they lost a lot of their political clout and a fair part of their fortune"

"And Ron hates me for making friends with Farm Boy, for turning on my parents, for ripping my family in two and generally making him look like a...." Ginny trailed off, looking round "Well - you can fill in your own words" 

"Which, to get back to my first point, is why I wanted to make sure everyone was careful today" Hermione looked around "No one goes anywhere alone" She glanced at the adults "That includes all of you" She held her hand up as a few of them opened their mouths to protest "I know - I am only just fifteen, and I have no right to be bossing you all around, but the simple truth is that while the seven of us can't be killed, I am pretty sure that doesn't apply to any of you"

"And you think Ron or Draco or Zach would hurt us?" Daniel asked in surprise.

"No, not really" Hermione shook her head "But given half a chance, Pennywise would rip off your head and leave it on our doorstep, just to torture us some more" She paused "Please, just promise me you'll be careful - I don't know if we could take any more deaths"

"We promise" Eric replied, and the other adults nodded.

"Okay then" Hermione grinned "So - no one goes anywhere alone, no one takes any candy from strangers, no ones makes chips or toffee and no one talks to the press without a Palantar globe" She paused "Okay - I am done, so if anyone has any ideas about organizing the trip to Diagon Alley, speak up"

xoxox

"Rita - could you come in here for a moment?" Rita looked round as Barnabas called out from his office. She sighed, put down the article she was writing and got up.

"What do you think he wants?" Sophia Parker asked from the next desk. 

"Oh - he probably wants to tell me my latest article lacks punch and isn't sucking up to Scrimgeour enough" Rita rolled her eyes. Ever since he came to power, Cuffe has been crazy about ensuring we are decidedly pro-government" She smiled "Still - it is kind of fun, sticking it to Dumbledore, but sometimes I want some real writing"

"Tell me about it" Sophia grinned "Covering The Wizengamot is getting repetitive, especially with the idea that Madam Marchbanks can do no wrong" 

"Rita? Before the end of the decade, please?" Barnabas called out again. Rita smirked.

"His Master's Voice" She grinned, then turned and walked over to her editor's office "How may I help you, boss of mine?" 

"It's Back To School Day, Rita" Barnabas gestured out of the window "Which means that - hopefully - Miss Potter-Granger and her friends will come out of hiding" 

"And you'd like me to talk to them?" She asked with a laugh "You do know how little they think of me, right?"

"I am aware that you didn't make any friends with the stories you wrote about them over Christmas, but that is partly the point" He replied "I have a list of question I want you to ask" He picked a roll of parchment off his desk and handed it to her. She glanced through them, then smiled.

"These questions came from you?" She asked, one eyebrow quirked curiously "Really?"

"They are questions The Prophet wants answers to" He said, his smile fading slightly "Ask them in that order and ensure you ask them in public"

"And what if they don't answer?" She looked through the parchment again "Some of these are.... interesting, to say the least"

"Then we have a story that says The heirs to the Houses of Potter-Granger and Black are refusing to answer some important questions" Barnabas shrugged "Either way, we weaken their position and blunt any future criticism they might send in the direction of The Ministry" He smiled. She returned his smile.

"You can count on me, boss" She tucked the parchment in to her robes "I will be ready and waiting for them when they arrive"

"Good girl"

xoxox

"Tell me why we aren't taking the floo again?" Ginny asked as the three cars they were using drove along the streets to The Leaky Cauldron. Hermione glanced over at Harry with a slight smirk.

"Because we are going to attract enough attention just by walking in to the pub" Harry said with a frown "We don't the added entertainment of me shooting out of the fireplace and taking down half the customers" Ginny laughed.

"You know - after get rid of IT, we should find a way to stop you doing that" She said, still laughing slightly "I mean - if you and GW are going to come and visit me and Cel, we can't have you shooting out of the floo like a rocket" 

"I would consider it a great kindness" He grinned back at her, then looked out of the window "We're nearly here" He looked back at Hermione "Ready to face the enemy?"

xoxox

"Percy?" Fred turned in surprise at his twin's voice, then looked up the road.

"Percy?" He echoed George's exclamation at the site of his older brother walking down the road, hand in hand with a woman.

"Good morning" Percy gave them both a smile "I got nostalgic for the good old days, so Penny and I thought we would come down and revisit Back To School day" Penny gave them a little wave. The twins exchanged glances.

"Not that it's not nice to see you - and Penny - but is that really the only reason?" Fred asked. Penny looked at her boyfriend with a sly grin.

"And you said they wouldn't work it out" She said, then held out her hand "Hand it over" Percy rolled his eyes and pulled a galleon out of her pocket "Thank you sweetie"

"You are most welcome, my beloved" He smiled back at her, then turned to the twins "One of my sources....."

"You have sources?" Fred asked with a smirk. Percy laughed.

"I know - it surprised me as well" He paused, then shrugged "Anyway - it seems that our beloved Minister is not a big fan of the new order that Hermione and her family is putting together, and is planning on doing something to discredit them" 

"And you thought you'd stop them?" George nodded "How, exactly?" Penny and Percy exchanged glances, both blushing slightly.

"That's the thing - we've really got no idea" Percy admitted. The twins laughed.

"Don't worry - I'm sure we'll think of something" Fred grinned.

xoxox

Jennifer looked at the assembled group, then pulled out a pad from her pocket.

"Okay - since none of you need new robes, we can skip the trip to Madam Malkins'" She smiled as Harry and Neville both gave a small cheer "So - Harry, Ginny and Sally need to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies - if you'll wait, Eric and I will come with you" The three of them nodded "Blaise, Hermione - book shop with Daniel and Lusysia"

"Ready to spend some time with your girlfriend's dad?" Hermione asked with a grin, making Blaise and Sally blush.

"Neville - apothecary, with Sidney" Neville smiled, while Hermione smirked.

"And Luna, you will be going to the stationary shop with Angelo and Augusta" Luna grinned.

"Okay then" She put the pad "We meet back at The Leaky Cauldron for lunch" She glanced at her eldest daughter "And remember what we talked about earlier" Everyone nodded "Okay - then...." She paused "I say that way too much, don't I?" Sidney grinned, leaned over and kissed her cheek, then turned to Neville.

"So - ready to go?"

xoxox

Molly and Ron walked in to Flourish and Blotts, and came to a halt.

"I told you" Ron said, looking at his mother "They're consorting with Death Eater spawn and they aren't even hiding it" He looked back to where Hermione was picking books from the shelves and handing them to Blaise "Don't you think we should act now? Save her from this cult she is creating around her?" Molly watched for a few moments, then shook her head.

"They are too powerful, Ron" She said calmly "Not only would we be challenging the House of Potter-Granger, but that boy's girlfriend is now in charge of The House of Black as well" She sighed "And with Dumbledore's suspension from The Wizengamot, there is no one in government who would be able to help us" 

"So we just let her stay with them?" He asked quietly? "We leave her with.... with them?"

"Albus said that he would see what he could do, but he has his own problems at the moment" Molly said quietly "Until then, he suggested we try to stay on their good side"

"Suck up to them?" Ron shook his head "No - no way" He took a step forward "I'm going to tell them what they have...." He stopped as his mother clamped her hand down on his shoulder.

"No, you won't" She hissed "Listen to me, Ronald - if we want to rescue Ginny from their clutches, we have to proceed carefully - not charge around like a wounded skrewt" She looked over at Blaise and Hermione again "Do you understand?"

"Yes" He nodded.

"Good" She smiled "Then lets go and say hello"

xoxox

Hermione glanced to her left, rolled her eyes, then looked back at Blaise.

"Have we got everything?" She asked "Because I think we should find your mother and Mr Perks" Blaise looked at her curiously, then turned to see Molly and Ron walking over.

"Not desperate to meet up with Mommy Dearest?" Blaise asked with a smirk.

"It wasn't on the top of my list, no" She shook her head "I think they'll be less like to confront us if our parents are here" Blaise smiled "And yes, I know Mr Perks isn't my father, but...."

"But I get your point" He nodded "If you want to go get them, I'll stay here and head them off" Hermione bit her lip, then smiled.

"Thanks" She turned and walked off in to the shop, just as Molly and Ron walked up. 

"Mrs Weasley, Ronald" He nodded politely "Picking up your books?"

"Where did Miss Potter-Granger go?" Molly asked "I wanted to talk to her about my daughter"

"With all due respect, Mrs Weasley, Miss Ginevra isn't your daughter any longer - hasn't been since you tried to mind-rape her" Blaise kept his voice polite "And Miss Potter-Granger doesn't want to talk to you" 

"And you think we care about what a junior Death Eater thinks?" Ron sneered. Blaise turned to face him.

"While I don't really care about what you think, if you slander my parents like that again, Master Weasley, I will ensure you regret it" 

"It's not slander if it's the truth" Ron snapped "You're going to sell Harry and my sister to You Know Who and then serve at his right hand"

"His right hand is currently decomposing in an unmarked grave somewhere in Wiltshire" Daniel said, coming round the end of the shelf with Lusysia and Hermione "And unless someone builds a restaurant over the unmarked grave, no one is going to be serving there any time soon" He smiled "Good morning, Mrs Weasley, Ron"

"Mr Black" Molly replied neutrally, then looked at Hermione "Miss Potter-Granger, may I have a word?" 

"No" Hermione shook her head. 

"What? You're too good to speak to me now?" Molly snapped.

"Not at all. I have just been advised not to discuss business relating to my House without one of the Heads present" Hermione smiled politely "If you would like to arrange an appointment with my parents, I would be happy to speak to you then" Molly stared at her, then turned and stomped out of the shop. 

"You'll regret this, Granger" Ron snapped, then turned and stalked after his mother. Hermione watched them go, then turned back to the others.

"That went well"

xoxox

"Miss Black" Rita's voice cut through the chatter in the alley, drawing everyone's attention to her. Sally rolled her eyes, then looked up at Jennifer and Eric.

"I suppose running away isn't the answer?" She asked. Jennifer grinned.

"Everyone turn on your globes" She said, and they all nodded "Sally - you know you don't have to talk to her, right?"

"Yes, Jennifer" Sally nodded "But I want to see what she wants first"

"Smart" Eric grinned, then looked at Harry and Ginny "Same applies to you?" They both nodded "Okay - just be careful. She is a mean, spiteful, heartless bitch"

"But?" Ginny asked.

"For once - no but" Eric smirked, then turned as Rita walked up to them, pulling out her notepad as she did.

"Miss Black, I was wondering if I might ask you a few questions?"

"By all means" Sally smiled "You don't mind if Mrs Potter-Granger and Mr Lovegood stand in loco-parentis?" She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the blank look she got from the reporter "You don't mind if they stand in for my father?" Rita glanced at the two adults, and shrugged.

"No - that's okay" She glanced down at her pad "Miss Black - how do you feel about being in control of an historically dark house?" Sally smiled.

"The House of Black has not been the most upstanding of the Great Families, but my father and I are looking forward to overturning its legacy to use the power and influence it has to make the world a better place" 

"And you aren't worried about the remaining members of House Black?" Rita made a few notes.

"Andromeda Tonks and her daughter both think we will bring a breath of fresh air to the proceedings" Sally replied.

"And her sister Narcissa?" 

"Narcisssa hasn't been in touch yet, but given her reputation for fairness and equality, I can not see why she wouldn't agree with her sister" Sally paused "Of course, given some of the views she expressed about muggle-born rights, I might have to work a little harder to win her over" Rita stared at her, made a few more notes, then looked up again, this time at Jennifer.

"Mrs Potter-Granger - during the election, you voiced a lot of support for Minister Fudge. Given the way that Minister Scrimgeour has turned the country around, do you now regret not supporting him?" Jennifer looked at her thoughtfully, then shrugged.

"Given our past dealings with Minister Fudge, we believed he was the best choice to run the country - a belief further supported by his decision not to contest the election and instead ensure the debate would be about the future of the country" She said after a moment "And we have too much integrity to simply pick another candidate without giving it a great deal of thought" She smiled "Unfortunately, by that time, the election was over, and so our opinion would not have mattered either way"

"So you would have voiced an opinion if you had had more time?" Rita looked at her curiously.

"I guess we'll never know" Jennifer shook her head.

"Would you like to express an opinion now?" Rita asked "How do you feel Minister Scrimgeour has done in his first few weeks?"

"We've only just returned from holiday, and I am not fully caught up on the recent events" Jennifer smiled "So, as you can understand, it would be unwise of me to express any opinions without knowledge of the full facts" She glanced at her watch "And now, if you'll excuse us, we really should be getting to the shops" 

"One more question, if I may?" Rita looked at them "Your eldest daughter and her friends have apparently had their differences with Professor Dumbledore, and I am aware you have also had issues with the way he does things" Jennifer stared back at her, and - when Rita didn't continue - sighed.

"You said you had a question?"

"Given your past problems and conflicts with Professor Dumbledore, do you welcome Minister Scrimgeour's moves to bring some professionalism and modern methods to Hogwarts?"

xoxox

Hermione, Blaise, Daniel and Lusysia walked up the street, but paused when they heard Rita's question.

"While I understand that every politician has the desire to ensure that all of our children get the best start in life, history has repeatedly shown that the education of all our children is best done by people who know how to do it, and that the content of that education should not be decided on the whim of whoever is currently in power" Jennifer paused, then smiled "Politicians come and go, but education goes on"

"That sounds familiar" Blaise said with a smirk, then glanced at Hermione "Did you get it from her, or did she get it from you?"

"The words are mine, but I learned from the best" Hermione smiled "Should we...." She started, but Daniel shook his head.

"Wait until Skeeter leaves - that way she won't have the chance to question you" He said softly. Hermione nodded, and they watched as Rita slipped her pad back in her robes, and turned and walked away. Hermione waited until she was out of sight, then walked up the street.

"Thank you" She pulled her mother in to a hug "I fairly sure I couldn't have said that to her - at least no so concisely"

"You shouldn't underestimate yourself" Jennifer grinned "But you are welcome" She kissed the top of Hermione's head "We've still got to go to QQS, so how about you go to the pub and wait for us there?"

"Yes please" Everyone turned as Luna walked up, accompanied by Angelo and Augusta. Harry looked at her curiously.

"Everything okay, sweetie?" Luna smiled thinly.

"Draco found me and asked where you two were" She replied, nodding towards Sally and Harry "I told him that you were so intimidated by his manly presence that you had decided to go to school in Timbuktu" Sally laughed while Harry took Luna's hand and squeezed it.

"Well - we will take you to The Cauldron and get you rip roaring drunk" Hermione said with a grin, then - at the expressions on Jennifer's and Eric's face sighed "Okay - we will take you to The Cauldron and get you a nice cup of tea"

"Better" Jennifer grinned "Okay - we'll be back from QQS as soon as we can" She kissed Hermione on the cheek, then she, Eric and the three seekers turned and walked down the road. 

"To the pub!" Hermione raised her hand.

"The pub!" The others followed her lead and they all walked off towards The Leaky Cauldron.

xoxox

"You two too?" Daniel asked as Sidney and Neville came in and sat down at the table Hermione had commandeered. 

"Zach decided that since he couldn't find Bex, and that I was a fellow Hufflepuff, he would yell at me about her choice to prostitute herself to a Death Eater and fall in to Snidge's cult of evil" Neville shook his head "I thought about telling him that GW was the leader of the cult and that Bex was doing Mr Finch for free, but somehow I didn't think that would help" He realised that they were all looking at him with varying degrees of amusement.

"Too bad" At the sound of Sally's voice, Neville dropped his head against the table.

"You could've mentioned that she was stood behind me, you know" He said, not raising his head.

"What fun would that be?" Blaise asked with a grin.

"I hate you all" Neville moaned.

"We know" Harry grinned "So - who wants another drink?"

xoxox

"They answered all the questions?" Barnabas looked at Rita in surprise "Really?"

"It surprised me as well" Rita flicked through her pad "But I think we can still get a story out of this, if we write it the right way"

"You said they all had Palantar globes, so we can't risk misquoting them"

"We don't have to" Rita smiled "Trust me - when I'm done, we will have the public thinking exactly what we want them to think"


	10. Year 5 - A New Order

Tonks looked up and down the platform, then glanced at her watch again.

"Shouldn't they be here by now?" She asked her partner, a tall black man with an earring. 

"Relax, Dora" He leaned back against the wall, looking up at the sky "They might have got stuck in traffic, or there might have been a delay at the muggle side of the platform" He waved his hand dismissively "Besides, from what I've heard, they are capable of taking care of themselves" Tonks looked at him curiously, then looked down the platform again.

"If you'll excuse me a moment?" She walked off without waiting for a response, and strode down the platform to where Blaise and Sally were waiting with their parents.

"Miss Black?" She said, tapping Sally on the shoulder. Sally turned, then smiled.

"Miss Tonks" She said, inclining her head politely "And I prefer Miss Perks - at least for now" She looked at her father "Maybe when I am old enough to warrant the title, I might feel different"

"Sorry" Tonks grinned sheepishly "But my mother has been reminding to make sure I show my new Head of House the proper respect...." She trailed off as Sally laughed.

"Firstly, my father would technically be your new Head of House - he is acting regent, after all" She paused as Tonks nodded "Secondly, my idea of proper respect is not calling me 'that Perks bitch' and so forth. Just call me Sally, and we'll get along just fine"

"Yes, Sally" Tonks nodded, making Blaise laugh. 

"So - what can I do for you? Is this a House thing or an Auror thing?" Sally asked.

"An Auror thing" Tonks grinned "Minister Scrimgeour sent me and my partner here to keep an eye on the students, now that You Know Who has returned, and a few students in particular"

"Let me guess - you are worried because Farm Boy hasn't shown up yet" Blaise smiled. Tonks looked at him curiously "Sorry - force of habit. I meant Harry"

"I would have thought they'd be here by now" Tonks nodded.

"They are meeting up with Luna before they set off" Sally explained "And while GW is good at a lot of things, timekeeping isn't one of them"

"So I shouldn't be worried that it's nearly eleven and they aren't here yet?" Tonks asked.

"Nope" Blaise shook his head "Because if I am right, they will be walking through the portal pretty much..... now" He span round and pointed at the portal. A moment later, Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones appeared. Sally and Tonks turned to look at Blaise, who shrugged "I know - but wouldn't it have been cool if I was right?"

xoxox

"I'm sorry I'm late" Luna said as she bounded out of the fireplace in to Hermione's lounge "Daddy got held up at work...." She paused as Eric emerged from the floo ".... and so we set off late"

"Sorry" Eric said apologetically "I got a lead on a story, and it couldn't wait" He glanced at Luna, who nodded "I also have to ask a favour"

"Ask away" Jennifer replied.

"I have to get back to work, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind taking Luna to the station without me?" He asked "I wouldn't ask, but....."

"We understand" Sidney smiled "We'll make sure she gets there safely"

"Thank you" Eric smiled, then turned to his daughter "I'll talk to you later tonight, sweetie" He pulled her in to a hug "Be careful, darling. And if you can't be careful, just don't get caught" Luna laughed in to his chest then stood up on tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

"I promise I won't get caught" She smiled "And if you'd like to pop in on Daniel tonight, I might even get to see you later" Hermione raised her eyebrows curiously, but didn't interrupt.

"I love you, my little moon" He kissed her cheek, then took a step back and turned to the others "Thank you for this - I'll be at the office if you need to get in touch" He gave Luna a final wave, then walked back in to the floo and vanished in a flash of green flame. Harry walked over to Luna and put his arm around his waste.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

"I'll be fine" She replied, smiling faintly, then she looked up at the clock on the wall "We really have to go!"

xoxox

"No Snidge yet?" Neville asked as he and his grandmother walked up to the group.

"It's only ten to eleven" Sally said with a grin "Did you really think they'd be here by now?"

"Are you making fun of me, Miss Perks?" Sally looked round as Hermione walked up to her, followed by the others. 

"Yes" Sally grinned "Why? You want to make something of it?" Hermione stared back at her, then grinned.

"Maybe later. For now - we should probably get going. We don't want to be late!"

xoxox

Kingsley watched the group of seven students board the train, then turned to Tonks.

"Well - I think that's all of them. Is there anyone else we need to look out for?"

"Not for The Director, no" Tonks shook her head, still scanning the platform "But....." 

"But what?"

"But my mother asked me to keep an eye out for my cousin" She continued "She was worried about him starting something with Miss Perks after the whole House of Black thing"

"He got on the train about twenty minutes ago" Kingsley replied "He didn't talk to Miss Black at all" He paused "Although I admit he did seem to be radiating anger"

"I'll let Mum know" Tonks nodded "She can get a message to the Regent and his Heir, just to let them know her suspicion was right" She sighed "Well - if that's it, we should return to The Director"

"I'm going to go via Hogwarts - I promised Albus I would let him know what happened" Kingsley replied "And, since you are in The Order as well....."

"I resigned this morning" Tonks interjected quickly, making Kingsley stare at her in confusion.

"You resigned?" He asked "From The Order?" She nodded "Why?"

"If I'd stayed, I would have been serving two masters" She replied calmly "My first duty is to Director Bones, and if I was still reporting to Dumbledore then I wouldn't be able to do my job properly"

"And Professor Dumbledore didn't have any problems with it?" Kingsley looked at her curiously.

"I wouldn't say that" She admitted "But it was my choice, and I have made it" She looked around again "So, if you will excuse me, I am going to give my report to The Director"

"I will see you later then" He nodded, and she vanished with a crack of apparation. He took a final look around, then vanished as well.

xoxox

"Do you think they've seen it?" Hannah asked, handing the paper to Susan.

"Probably not - it was a late edition, and I only got it because Aunty Amelia dropped it off before I got on the train" Susan glanced down at the front page "So - do well tell them about it?"

"I think we should, yes" Hannah nodded "Otherwise they'll face it when they get to school" She stood up "Coming?"

"Of course" Susan grinned, getting to her feet as well. 

They walked down the carriage, then stopped as they reached the last compartment. Hannah knocked, then opened it when bidden.

".....and the third one says I HIT IT! I HIT IT!" Hermione said. Hannah and Susan looked around at the others, who were all starting at Hermione with varying degrees of confusion. Hermione sighed "Okay - so no more statistics jokes" She paused "How about one to do with quantum physics?"

"Snidge - if we don't understand jokes about basic maths, what makes you think we'll understand jokes about advanced physics?" Luna asked.

"Blind faith?" Hermione shrugged, then she looked round at Hannah and Susan "Hello Hufflepuffs - how may we be of service today?" Susan glanced at Hannah, who nodded.

"We just wanted to say hi, and to give you this" She pulled the paper out of her robes and handed it to Hermione "Auntie A gave it us just before we got on the train"

"Auntie A?" Blaise asked curiously.

"Hannah and I grew up together" Susan said with a smile.

"Director Bones has been like an Aunt to me since I was two years old" Hannah added "But anyway - we'll talk to you at the feast" She glanced at Susan again, who nodded "We think we might be able to help you"

"Help us?" Harry asked.

"Before the end of school last year, Cedric held a House meeting" Susan said quietly. Hermione looked at her warily "He told us about Mr Black and Viktor" Hermione let out a slight sigh of relief "If Professor Dumbledore is going to continue his quest against you, he will have to take on the whole of our house as well"

"Oh my" Harry exclaimed, while Hermione smiled.

"Thank you, but I don't want anyone else getting in trouble because of us" She said softly. Susan smiled.

"You do remember what House we are in, right?" She laughed "If you were doing something wrong, then we'd be the first to stand against you - but you aren't, and we aren't going to let anyone persecute you for some warped ideal of the greater good" Hermione smiled back at her, then stood up and hugged them both.

"Our Houses are in your debt, my friends, and I promise if we need your help, I will ask" She sat down again, leaving two smiling young women.

"We'll see you at the feast" Hannah said, then they both walked of the compartment, shutting the door behind them. Hermione looked across at Neville and Sally.

"How much do they know?" She asked quietly. 

"Cedric only told them about Sirius" Sally replied seriously "That he was there as part of Dumbledore's plan to ruin your life" 

"Nothing about...."

"No" Neville shook his head "He didn't talk about Lucy at all - just about Dumbledore and Farm Boy" Hermione smiled.

"I guess I owe him" She paused "Who can I count on? I mean - if it becomes necessary to count on anyone?"

"Probably most of the second to the seventh year, with maybe one exception" Sally replied "I think that if Dumbledore said he was going to torture you in The Great Hall, Zach would probably volunteer to hold you down" 

"So we have something in common?" Hermione said with a laugh "Well - can you thank Hannah and Susan for me? And let them know I appreciate their offer and will let them know"

"You don't think they can help?" Neville asked.

"I don't want to drag them in to this war" She replied quietly.

"Erm... Snidge - we might need their help after all" Luna said, gesturing to the paper. Everyone turned to look at her as she held it up.

**HOUSE OF BLACK'S NEW HEIR SAYS THE WORLD WILL BEND TO HER WILL**

**NEW MISS BLACK CLAIMS SUSPECTED DEATH EATERS WOULD APPROVE OF HER METHODS**

**HOUSE OF POTTER-GRANGER OPPOSES SCRIMGEOUR REFORMS**

**POTTER-GRANGER/DUMBLEDORE FEUD - NEW EVIDENCE COMES TO LIGHT**

Hermione stared at the paper, then looked at Luna again.

"You know you said you might be able to talk to your father tonight?" She said with a smile "Do you think I could come along?"

xoxox

A few hours later, The Hogwarts Express pulled in to the station, and they all disembarked on to the platform.

"So - we're agreed?" Hermione looked round the group "No one makes any comment on the stories in the paper, not even to people we are friendly with?" The other six nodded "Okay" She looked up and down the platform "Everyone ready to go?"

"Miss Potter-Granger?" The seven students looked round, and Hermione smiled as Neville and Blaise slowly moved to stand between her and the man walking towards them.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, pulling his wand out of his robes and holding it by his side. The man glanced at the wand, then smiled.

"My name is Agent James, and I am a member of the MPD" He moved his hand towards his jacket, then stopped as Harry raised his wand "I was simply going to get my identification?" Harry glanced at Hermione, who nodded. 

"Okay" Harry said, and James pulled out a leather wallet and flipped it open. Harry looked across at Luna and Ginny, both of whom nodded. 

"Minister Scrimgeour asked me to keep an eye on you until you reached Hogwarts and during any Hogsmeade weekends" James continued, slipping his badge back in to his robes "With the return of You Know Who, he is concerned about your safety"

"My safety?" Hermione said with an amused grin "Don't you mean my brother's?"

"The seven of you are clearly very close, Miss Potter-Granger, and it is not beyond reason that the Death Eaters would try to get to him through any of you"

"At their Lord's command, of course" Hermione said coolly.

"Of course"

"Do we get a choice about this protection? I mean - can we refuse it?"

"You can, but don't you want your friends and family to be safe?" James asked in surprise.

"I understand that protection details are required to make regular reports to The Minister about their activities" Luna said, tilting her head to one side "Would this also apply to you?"

"It is important that The Minister be kept abreast of any new developments" James nodded "Otherwise it would be difficult to assess the on-going changes in the level of protection required"

"So basically you are going to watch our every move, spy on us whenever we leave the castle and report all of that back to Scrimgeour?" Hermione shook her head "I'm afraid that, on behalf of my friends and my siblings, I'm going to have to decline. We are quite capable of looking after ourselves, Agent James, and we don't need a Ministry lackey spying on us" 

"You are making a mistake....." James started, but Hermione held up her hand.

"If you want to follow up with my parents, feel free" She said "But if you talk to us again without permission from all of our parents, it will go badly for you" James stared at her, then turned and stalked away, muttering under his breath.

"Well - that was fun" Sally said, turning to face Hermione "What do you think? Why does Scrimgeour want to spy on us?"

"Best guess?" Hermione paused "He might actually want to simply protect us, but if that was the case, why isn't he doing it in conjunction with Dumbledore?" She shook her head "I think he is worried about Skeeter's article, and about The House of Black being influenced by my parents, so he wants to keep an eye on us"

"And the reason he isn't working with Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"They don't trust each other" Neville replied "Scrimgeour sees Dumbledore's attempts to take control of The House of Black as a prelude to a coup d'etat, and Dumbledore thinks anyone who doesn't fall in line with his vision of The Greater Good is a threat to the wizarding world" 

"Even though Scrimgeour believes him about Voldemort?" Ginny asked.

"Even so" Neville nodded. Hermione sighed.

"So not only are we at war with Pennywise, but we've also got The Ministry and Dumbledore to fight?" She asked.

"So it would seem" They turned to see a man in a pinstriped suit leaning against one of the beams "And don't forget my three agents of chaos - they are going to make your life very interesting"

"Pennywise" Hermione tilted her head to one side "Come to engage us in more impotent taunting?" She shook her head "I don't know why you bother any more - I don't think we can be any more terrified of you than we already are, and since we both know you can't touch us until The Reckoning, I have to wonder what you get out of this?" Pennywise smiled back at her.

"Perhaps I am getting sentimental in my old age" Pennywise looked her up and down "I mean - in a little while, this will all be over" He sighed "No more of these little chats, no more late nights talks by the fire" He shook his head sadly "You know - I'm going to miss you after I rip your still beating heart out of your body"

"You know - if you are going to keep talking I'll rip it out for you" Hermione replied with a fake smile. Pennywise laughed loudly.

"Well said" He took a step back and bowed "Very well, my most valiant lady, I will leave you alone" He straightened up "We will not see each other again until The Reckoning, when you will come to me, and you shall die" He paused "That is, of course, assuming you live that long" He turned and walked off down the platform, leaving Hermione staring after him.

"Miss Potter-Granger - are you going to stay here all night?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked from behind them. Hermione turned, and smiled.

"Sorry, Professor - I was just enjoying the night sky" She paused, then frowned "Professor? Didn't you retire?"

xoxox

McGonagall stared down the staff table to where their newest member of staff was sitting, then turned back to Dumbledore.

"How did we come to this, Albus? Letting that... that woman in to our school?"

"Minister Scrimgeour was very clear" Dumbledore replied calmly "Since my choices over the past few years have apparently been in appropriate, our Minister felt that I was not entirely capable of filling the vacancy" He looked along the table to where Dolores Umbridge, dressed entirely in pink, was looking out over the assembled students.

"Is she even qualified?" McGonagall asked.

"I'm afraid I wasn't involved in the interview process, but from what I remember of her, she was a mediocre student at best, and I can not imagine she has got any better" Dumbledore sighed "Perhaps we should consider asking Miss Potter-Granger to expand her study group? So that if Professor Umbridge is not all that we would wish her to be, at least the OWL and NEWT students won't suffer unduly?"

"I will talk to Miss Potter-Granger after the feast" McGonagall nodded, then stood up as Flitwick carried The Sorting Hat and stool to the front of the table. 

"To all our new students - welcome, and to all our returning students - welcome back" Dumbledore smiled as he addressed the students "I have a number of announcements to make, but as none of them is of any major importance, they can all wait until after The Feast. So, without further ado" He looked at McGonagall "Professor? If you wouldn't mind?"

xoxox

"I guess she is one of the announcements?" Hermione said, staring at Umbridge. 

"Is she another of Scrimgeour's spies?" Harry asked.

"Probably, yes" Hermione nodded "But hey - the last DADA teacher we had tried to kill me, so she has to be an improvement on that" Harry stared at his sister with amusement.

"You know when you say something like that the universe rubs its hands together in glee, right?" Hermione laughed.

"It's already chosen us to be its pawns in the fight against IT" Hermione shrugged "If we have to kill her as well, so be it" Harry stared at her for a moment, then they both turned back as The Sorting Hat started singing.

  
For a thousand years, it is I alone  
Who sorts the students, and gives them their home  
The brave, the bold and the cunning, the wise  
It is I who says where their future lies

The prophesied signs have all come true  
So those who know now know what's due  
And now the seven must fight as one  
To see their common will be done

A day of fun shall end with hate  
But worse than that will soon await  
Once on the path, you can't turn back  
For your destiny leads into the black  


Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then looked across The Hall to see the others staring back at them.

"So if we don't have any fun, we'll be safe?" Harry asked with a smile. Hermione smiled.

"Yeah - somehow I don't think that plan will work" She said with a grin, then joined in the applause as someone was sorted in to Gryffindor "But the fact our bloody, horrible death is near doesn't worry me half as much as our coming fight with Dumbledore and Scrimgeour" She looked back to where Umbridge was now staring at them "And their various pets"

xoxox

As Annabeth Zott was sorted in to Hufflepuff, and McGonagall carried The Hat and the stool away, Dumbledore got to his feet and raised his hands for quiet.

"To all our newly sorted students - I bid you welcome to your new Houses. The feast will start in a moment, but first I would like to introduce two new members of staff "Filling in while Professor Hagrid is on temporary assignment, please welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank" There was a polite round of applause "Professor Hagrid should return within a month or so, but until then I expect you all to help Professor Grubbly-Plank adjust to being back" He paused "Secondly, may I welcome Professor Dolores Umbridge from The Ministry, who has kindly agreed to act as our Defence Against The Arts teacher. I am sure she...."

"Hem-hem" Dumbledore stopped as the noise, wondering where it had come from. He realised everyone in The Hall, including some of the staff, were staring at the far end of the staff table. He slowly turned to see Umbridge getting to her feet.

"Dolores? Something I can do for you?" 

"I was wondering if I might address the students, Headmaster" Dumbledore stared at her for a moment, looking politely confused.

"Generally new staff introduce themselves in their first lesson, Professor" He replied.

"I merely wish to say a few words, Professor" She faced him calmly, hands folded "But if you wish to muzzle The Ministry, I will, of course, obey your wishes" Dumbledore looked at her thoughtfully, then stood to one side and gestured at the podium.

"Far be it from me to prevent the free and frank exchange of ideas" He smiled "This is a school after all - where we seek the truth in all things"

"Thank you, Headmaster" She nodded politely, then walked over to stand beside the podium. She looked around the students again, then smiled.

xoxox

"Good evening students. For those of you who don't know, my name is Professor Dolores Umbridge, and I was personally appointed as your Defence Against The Dark arts teacher by The Minister of Magic" Luna rolled her eyes, making Ginny snort in amusement.

"We live in troubling times, children. The tragic death of one of your own at the hands of someone we thought we could trust has thrust us in to a turbulent period, and reminded us once again that - if we are to get through to this together - we must place our faith in those chosen to govern us" Sally and Neville exchanged amused glances.

"And while the free and frank exchange of ideas has its place, we must be wary of listening too long to those who simply seek to undermine our establishment, our traditions and our way of life" She paused "And we must be willing to speak up against those who feel their interests and beliefs are more important than the common goal of working towards a united wizarding world, free from the terror of tyranny"

"You know she means you, right?" Harry whispered, making Hermione smile and nod.

"You, the students of Hogwarts, represent the future of our world, and the importance of giving you a good start in life can not be overstated. I firmly believe that it is the duty of every public servant to pass on their knowledge to the next generation, and I am never one to shirk from my duty" She smiled "Over the coming months we will learn together and learn from each other, and by the end of the year you will all be properly prepared to go out in to the world and be a productive and useful member of a unified society" Blaise glanced to his right to see Draco looking at Umbridge as if she was the second coming, and had to bite his lip to stop himself exploding with laughter.

"For it is only together that we can reclaim the glory of the wizarding world, and ensure that our future is not left in the hands of those who would destroy it, but instead that tomorrow belongs to us" As Umbridge finished speaking, Hermione jammed her fist against her mouth, making Harry take her other hand and squeeze it firmly. She looked at him gratefully, then they both watched as Dumbledore walked back to the podium, a slightly surprised look on his face.

xoxox

"Thank you for those.... interesting words, Professor Umbridge" He said calmly "And with that, let the feast begin!" He clapped his hands, and The Hall broke out in to chatter as food appeared on all the tables. He glanced at a few students around The Hall, then walked back and took his seat next to McGonagall.

"Professor Umbridge certainly has some..... novel ideas about how our world should proceed" She said as he settled himself in to his seat.

"That much is certain" Dumbledore nodded absently "However, from what I could discern, we do not appear to be the target of her ire" He paused as she looked at him curiously "While I am sure Minister Scrimgeour has sent her here to spy on us, I think that she is more intent on finding out what Miss Potter-Granger and Miss Black are planning" He smiled "Which, I think, might serve our purposes well"

xoxox

As the feast started to wind down, Dumbledore got to his feet again, raised his hand and waited for the chatter to die down.

"I just have a few quick announcements before you all make your way to bed" He said calmly "While we do not expect any attacks, in light of Lord Voldemort's return we have increased security around the school and so it is inadvisable to try to leave the school without permission" He paused to let the assembled students absorb this "However, Hogsmeade visits will take place as normal - those of you in the third year and above who have had their permission forms signed will be free to go to the village during the appropriate weekends" He smiled as a ripple of excitement ran through The Hall "As always, The Forbidden Forest is off limits to everyone" He paused "And finally, I am pleased to announce that The Study Group that was so successful last year will continue this year" He looked over at Hermione, who limited herself to a single nod.

"And with that happy thought, I will bid you all a fond good night. First years - the prefects will show you how to get to your common room. Everyone else - enjoy the rest of your evening" He smiled as the students started to break up, then turned as he felt someone walk up behind him.

"Professor Dumbledore - could you tell me more about this study group you mentioned?" Professor Umbridge asked.

xoxox

"Ready?" Hermione looked across at Luna. 

"Ready" Luna nodded, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

"Room - can you show me a path to The White Room?" She asked. For a moment nothing happened, then a silver door appeared in the middle of The Room of Requirement. Luna opened her eyes, and grinned.

"Well - that's step one" She said, then looked at Hermione "Any idea how to test it?" 

"I can think of one way, yes" Hermione nodded, then she bounded over, yanked the door open and jumped in to it.


	11. Year 5 - The Three Edged Sword

Eric looked round the large white room, then turned back to Daniel.

"So - do you know why my daughter asked me to come here?" He asked hopefully. Daniel smiled.

"I know that Sally and her friends spent a lot of time in this room over the summer, and - from what I've seen - it has a number of interesting properties" He paused "Do you want me to show you...." He stopped suddenly as a door appeared in front of him, and a moment later Hermione came bounding out of it and slammed in to him.

"Oh! God! Sorry Mr Perks!!" She took a step back, blushing "I guess I should look before I leap next time" She looked over at Eric "Mr Lovegood! Thank you for coming. If you give me a sec, I will go fetch the others"

"Okay....." Eric stared at her in confusion "Where did you come from again?" Hermione grinned.

"I'll let your daughter explain - it was her idea" She turned and stuck her head back through the door "Guys - you can come through now" She turned back and stood to one side.

"Really?" Eric stared at the door, then looked back at Hermione "I thought the wards had been strengthened because of You Know Who's return?"

"Dumbledore's magic against The Blacks and The Founders?" Luna laughed "I know where I'd put my money" She bounded over to her father and pulled him in to a hug "Hi Daddy"

"Hello, my darling" He hugged her back, then looked up as the rest of the group came through the door.

"Wow" Harry looked around, then turned to Luna "I am suitably impressed my love" Luna beamed at him, flushed with pride.

"As long as we aren't detected on the way back in to Hogwarts, I'd say we have a portal through the wards" She grinned, then glanced at Sally and Daniel "That is if the current Heads of House Black have no problems with it?"

"My house is your house" Daniel said with a grin "Plus knowing that you can escape from the school if you need to makes me a lot happier about you being back there" He paused "And don't think I am not happy to see you all, but what brings you here?"

"The stories in The Prophet" Eric replied before any of the children could speak up "I am guessing you want to make some kind of response?"

"To sat the least" Sally nodded "I'd like to give you an interview with the transcript of what I said - Rita might have quoted me, but she didn't quote me correctly"

"I know, and I will do what I can" He paused "Although I can't publish it for about two days"

"Why?"

"Because otherwise it might make people ask HOW Mr Lovegood got the interview so quickly, given you are at school" Hermione replied.

"See - this is why you make the big galleons" Sally grinned.

"Yeah - and I really should stop doing that before someone arrests me for forgery" Hermione smirked. Sally rolled her eyes.

"And what about you, Min?" Eric asked "Should I go and visit your parents?"

"You can, but I think that they will be quite happy with what that Skeeter woman wrote" Hermione shrugged "They do oppose his reforms and we are kind of feuding with Dumbledore - in fact, the more people who know we don't get along with the old goat, the better" 

"Very well then" He turned back to Sally "Where would you like to do this?"

xoxox

The next morning Hermione and Harry walked in to The Great Hall, only to find Professor McGonagall waiting for them.

"Miss Potter-Granger, I was wondering if I might have a word?" McGonagall said quietly.

"What about?" Hermione asked as she and Harry came to a halt.

"It's about something that happened last night" McGonagall continued. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then looked back at their teacher.

"Anything in particular?" McGonagall looked up to the staff table, then turned back.

"Following the feast last night, Professor Umbridge made an announcement banning all non-curricular groups and activities" McGonagall said, her tone terse "Every group will have to make an appointment with her and make their case for the group being re-instated" Hermione sighed.

"And The Study Group is an extra curricular activity?" She said in a resigned tone.

"Yes" McGonagall nodded "And there's something else" She paused "Her proclamation came just after she learned about The Study Group and, more specifically, who is in charge of it" 

"So she is throwing the entire school in to chaos just to get at me?" Hermione laughed "Okay then - The Study Group is canceled, and we'll go back to studying on our own" She shrugged "I'm sorry that the marks of the entire student body are about to be flushed down the toilet, Professor, but these things will happen" McGonagall stared at her in surprise.

"Am I to understand you are not going to ask for approval of your group? That you are just going to give in?" She asked in disbelief.

"So it would seem" Hermione grinned "May I go to breakfast now?" McGonagall nodded absently, then - as Harry and Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor table, she walked up to the staff table and sat down next to Dumbledore.

"How did Miss Potter-Granger take the news?" He asked.

"Surprisingly well" McGonagall replied "She indicated she is not going to fight for her group, and just give in to our new Defence Professor" Dumbledore looked at her in surprise.

"I would have thought, given how passionate she has been about it, she would not have just given in to The Ministry" He paused "Do you have any idea what might have caused this change of attitude?"

"I just don't know, Albus" McGonagall admitted "Perhaps she knows that it won't make any difference? That even if she does confront our new Defence Professor, The Group still won't be re-instated?"

"So she isn't willing to fight the difficult fight?" Dumbledore shook his head "No - this is unacceptable. Would you ask her to see me this evening please?"

"Of course" McGonagall nodded, then looked down The Great Hall "Do you want to invite anyone else?" Dumbledore followed her gaze to where it rested on Harry.

"Mr Potter, and the rest of her friends, will follow her lead. Having them their would only re-enforce her opinion" He shook his head "Once I persuade Miss Granger that she should not just give up, the others will fall in line"

xoxox

"Do you think they're going to try and talk you in to trying to get the group restarted?" Harry asked, turning away from the gaze of the two teachers.

"Oh yeah" Hermione grinned "I can almost hear The Great and Powerful Oz now" She paused, then modulated her voice slightly "Don't you think, Miss Potter-Granger, that just giving in to discrimination and bigotry is the best way to make the world a better place?" Harry laughed.

"You are getting quite good at that, you know" He smiled "But you forgot that, as a significant member of a powerful House, you have a duty to lead by example" Hermione snapped her fingers.

"Damn - I knew there was something I was missing" She smiled, then her look turned serious "I am not going to let them use me as a puppet in their disagreement with The Ministry, even if that means abandoning the rest of The Study Group"

"I'll let the others know" Harry replied in an equally serious tone, then glanced across to the Hufflepuff table "And I think we should be able to convince the rest" 

"So you agree?" 

"When do I not?" He replied "And when have you ever been wrong?" She opened her mouth, but Harry pressed his finger to her lips "Rhetorical question, sis" She laughed, then looked at her watch "Well - I guess we should be getting to defence?"

"A whole lesson with your biggest fan?" Harry rolled his eyes "This should be fun"

xoxox

Blaise walked in to the defence classroom, and sat down between Harry and Hermione.

"Good morning" He looked around the classroom "Umbridge isn't here yet?"

"Maybe she is waiting to make an entrance" Hermione suggested with a faint smile, then she sighed "Did you hear about her proclamation?"

"Yes" Blaise nodded "Malfoy went to her first thing to ask permission for our Quidditch team to play. Umbridge granted it without a second thought" He glanced at Harry "There's the chance she might not be so willing to do the same for the other teams" Harry looked at him, then laughed.

"I think winning by default is about the only way Draco will ever win The Quidditch Cup" He said with a grin "And it's not like we don't have something important to do this year anyway" Blaise smiled.

"That's the spirit" He said, then he looked at Hermione "So - no study group?"

"No public study group" Hermione nodded "Not unless Dumbledore and the others are willing to back me up as well"

"Fair enough" Blaise nodded, then the whole class fell silent as the door to the private office opened, and Umbridge came out, walked down the stairs and walked to the front of the class.

"Good morning students" She said with a smile, then paused. When there was no response, she frowned slightly "Lets try that again, shall we? I said - Good morning students" Harry, Hermione and Blaise all exchanged amused glances.

"Good morning, Professor" They chorused back along with the rest of the students.

"Very good. Good manners cost nothing, although given the range of previous teachers you have had, I am not all that surprised" She shook her head.

"My name is Professor Umbridge, and you may refer to me as such. I was personally asked by The Minister to teach this class" She smiled "To that end, I will make sure that - by the end of the year - you will have a complete and thorough grounding in the theory of defensive techniques and their place in today's society" She waved her hand, and the pile of books behind her flew forward, one landing on each desk.

"I will be available for questions between the end of lessons and the evening meal, Monday through Friday, and from two until four on Saturday and Sunday. I will not be academically related questions outside of those times, so please manage your time properly" She beamed.

"For our first lesson, please read chapter one in the textbook" She waited until the students started opening their books, then she turned and walked over to sit behind her desk. 

Hermione glanced down at the book, then raised her hand. Harry and Blaise watched her for a moment, then leaned back, their arms folded.

For a few minutes, Professor Umbridge didn't respond, then she turned and smiled.

"Yes, Miss Potter-Granger?" 

"There is nothing in this book about using our wands" Hermione said calmly, lowering her hand.

"You haven't even opened it, Miss Potter-Granger" Umbridge replied.

"I read it over the holidays, Professor, and there is nothing in this book about using our wands" Hermione repeated.

"Why would you need to use your wand?" Professor Umbridge asked in a startled voice.

"Setting aside that we all have OWLs at the end of this year - exams that will require us to be able to cast a number of defensive spells - there is the matter of being able to protect ourselves" Umbridge stared at her, and her expression morphed in to one of polite contempt. She turned back to address the class.

"While it is true that You Know Who has returned, and that we are all in more peril than before, there is nothing for you, as students to worry about" She smiled in a placatory manner "While you are all perfectly safe, and...." She turned to glare at Hermione, her voice going hard "....any suggestion to the contrary is a lie" Hermione stared back at her.

"We are not always going to be in Hogwarts, Professor" She said calmly "With school holidays and Hogsmeade visits, we will be outside of the wards quite a lot"

"And you will have the Aurors there to protect you, Miss Potter-Granger" Umbridge snapped "The suggestion that you and your fellow students are anything other than perfectly safe is patently not true"

"So Lucinda and Sirius just dropped dead of their own accord, did they?" Hermione said. Umbridge stared at her.

"Detention. Tomorrow night. Now either shut up and let everyone else study in peace, or get out of my classroom" Hermione smiled.

"You know, Professor, that's the first thing you've said that has made any sense" She stood up, grabbed her bag and pushed her chair back. Turning, she started for the door, then stopped when she realised Blaise and Harry were also going with her. She looked at them questioningly, and they both nodded, making her grin.

"Mr Potter-Granger, Mr Zabini - where do you think you are going?" Umbridge asked. Blaise turned to face her.

"You said you didn't want any disruptive influences in your class, Professor" He said simply, then turned and followed Harry and Hermione out of the room.

xoxox

"Mr Zabini - Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office after the evening meal" 

xoxox

"Miss Potter-Granger, Mr Potter-Granger - Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office after the evening meal"

xoxox

"You too?" Hermione asked as Blaise walked up the corridor towards her and Harry. 

"You're surprised?" Blaise grinned "We not only defied the faculty, we defied The Ministry as well" He gestured to the gargoyle over the door to the Headmaster's office "Did you really think we'd get away with it?" 

"Well - when you put it like that it does sound a little silly" Hermione grinned, then looked up at the statue "So - are you going to let us in, or do we blast you in to tiny little bits?" The gargoyle stared back at her, unmoving. Hermione slid her wand out of her robes and pointed it upwards "Now - what spell is the most fun to use against gargoyles? Diffindo? Reducto? Oh - how about a nice transfiguration? I could give you fluffy bunny ears, or maybe turn you pink...." With a grinding noise, the door slowly slid open "See - was that all that difficult?" She put her wand away and looked at the two boys "Shall we?"

xoxox

"So we're agreed?" Dumbledore looked at Snape and McGonagall "We make it clear that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable?" The two teachers nodded, then turned as their was a knock at the door.

"How did they...." McGonagall started, but Dumbledore waved his hand and she quietened.

"Come in" Dumbledore called out, and a moment later the door opened and Hermione entered, followed by Blaise and Harry "Please - have a seat" He waved his hand and three seats appeared. Hermione sat down in the middle one, with Harry on her right and Blaise on her left "I have called you here to discuss your behaviour in this morning's defence class" Hermione stared back at him dispassionately. After a few minutes with no response, Dumbledore continued.

"While I understand that you feel you must defend your parents, you must realise that Professor Umbridge is a powerful woman, and making an enemy of her is unwise - especially now that we should be working together" Hermione continued to stare at him flatly.

"Miss Potter-Granger, this conversation would be a great deal easier if I was not the only one participating in it" Hermione let a slight smile cross her face.

"Professor Umbridge is refusing to teach us the practical part of defence, Headmaster" She said quietly "We - the three of us plus the rest of our year - have OWLs at the end of this year, exams that the two teachers in this room have both stressed as being vitally important to our future"

"She is backed by The Ministry, and by The Minister himself" Dumbledore pressed "And while you might have some disagreement with her teaching style, it is unwise to voice those disagreements, especially in such a public forum"

"Headmaster, I simply told the truth. Are you suggesting that that is a bad thing?"

"I am suggesting that there is a time and a place for telling the truth, but that sometimes we are required to subordinate our own desires in service to the greater good"

"The greater good requires us to lie?" Hermione snorted in derision "Edmund Burke would slap your face, Headmaster, and I am pretty sure he wouldn't be the only one" 

"I'm not familiar with the reference" Dumbledore frowned.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" Snape said from his position behind the students "A simplistic, if accurate, view of the world" Dumbledore turned back to stare at angrily at Hermione.

"And you are suggesting that....."

"I am not suggesting anything, Professor" Hermione replied in the same, calm voice "I am merely expressing my opinion - assuming I am still free to do that of course, and that I don't have to hold my tongue for the greater good?" 

"Very droll" Dumbledore replied in a deadpan voice "Now - are you going to heed my advice, and stop these confrontations with Professor Umbridge?" Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, then shrugged.

"I dare do all that may become a man" She said simply, then - before Dumbledore could reply - added "Macbeth, Act One, Scene Seven. And in case you don't understand, it means that no, I am not going to cave to Umbridge, to The Ministry or to you" She paused "With all due respect, of course" She leaned back and folded her arms. Dumbledore stared at her, then looked at Harry and Blaise.

"And what of you, Mr Zabini? How do you think your family will react to you disgracing your name?" Blaise smiled.

"My parents will be proud of me for sticking to my principles" He replied, then, with a slight grin, he added "Besides - they are thinking of forming an alliance with the House of Potter-Granger and what kind of a son would I be if I was to do something to upset that?"

"An alliance?" Snape asked in surprise "What kind of alliance?"

"Not one I am free to discuss at the moment" Blaise smiled. Snape stared at him thoughtfully, then looked at Harry.

"What about you, Mr Potter-Granger? I assume you will fall in line with your sister?" He said with a sneer.

"I try not to disagree with her when she is right" Harry replied with a smirk, then added "Which - to be honest - is pretty much all the time" He looked at his sister "Do you know how annoying that is?" Before Hermione could reply, Blaise laughed.

"She lives with you, so I'm guessing no" He said, making Harry and Hermione laugh. 

"If you are quite finished?" McGonagall said from behind them.

"Sorry, Professor" Hermione said, still smiling "Was there something else you wanted to discuss?" McGonagall looked across at Dumbledore.

"Since you are clearly not going to heed my advice, then there is just one more thing I would like to say" He stood up "Since I am unable to convince you to stop this dangerous crusade, I would like to remind you that your actions affect not only yourself, Miss Potter-Granger, but your friends as well" He glanced at Harry, then looked back at Hermione "Your brother has an important role to play, Miss Potter-Granger, and by making him a target, you put that role, and the future of our world, at risk" Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it when Harry squeezed her hand.

"Firstly, Professor, Snidge has not MADE me do anything" He said in a voice tinged with annoyance "If I thought she was wrong - if any of us thought she was wrong - we would tell her without a second thought" He smiled "Of course, since the world will have been invaded by an army of flying pigs, whatever she is wrong about will have to wait" Hermione let out a snort of amusement "And secondly - what role?"

"I'm afraid that I am not in a position to tell you that at the moment - there is the matter of informational security" Dumbledore replied. Harry looked at him curiously, but Hermione leaned forward.

"Is this about the prophecy?" She asked, then she nearly burst out laughing at the reactions her question generated. McGonagall let out a swear word that made Harry's mouth fell open in surprise. Snape bounded to his feet, sending his chair flying backwards until it smashed against the wall. But it was Dumbledore's reaction that made her want to burst in to giggles - the Headmaster, normally so calm, collected and assured, was simply gaping at her in disbelief.

"You know about the prophecy?" Dumbledore asked, regaining some of his normal poise "How?"

"At the end of our third year, we were given a prophecy" Hermione replied "But because of the circumstances, there were bits we were unclear about, so my parents asked Minister Fudge if they could hear the original version" 

"And he gave them access to The Hall of Prophecies?" McGonagall stared at her incredulously.

"My parents are very good friends with Cornelius" Harry replied "We have been invited to stay with him this summer"

"You have?" Blaise asked, turning to look at him.

"Didn't we tell you?" Hermione frowned "I thought I put it in the newsletter?"

"You did" Harry nodded.

"That might be it - our owl dropped the last one in the fire by accident" Blaise sighed "She's been like that for a few weeks now - I don't know what's wrong with her" 

"Maybe she's in love?" Hermione suggested "I mean - you've seen me and Viktor right?"

"Oh god - that time he kissed your neck and you turned Dad in to a bunny!!" Harry laughed "I've never seen you blush so red before!" Hermione grinned back at him, then they both turned when they realised Dumbledore was glaring at them.

"While I am sure this is all very interesting, I believe you were explaining how you came to know the prophecy?" He said in an aggravated tone.

"Oh - yes, sorry" Hermione smiled apologetically "Well - it turns out that the prophecy we heard was subordinate to the one you heard from Professor Trelawney which meant they couldn't touch it" She paused "But since it peaked Minister Fudge's interest, he invited the three of us along as well, and - along with The Master - the six of heard Professor Trelawney's original proclamation" Dumbledore slowly sank back in to his seat, his gaze not leaving Hermione's.

"This other prophecy" Snape said, walking round from behind them until he too faced Hermione "What did it say?" Hermione's gazed flicked to him, then she looked back at Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid that I am not in a position to tell you that at the moment - there is the matter of informational security you know" She said in a light voice, then looked back at Snape "No offence, Professor" Much to her surprise, Snape looked as if he was about to smile.

"None taken, Miss Potter-Granger" He tilted his head in acknowledgement. She smiled, then looked back at Dumbledore.

"If that is everything Headmaster, we have a lot of homework to do, and since I have a detention tomorrow night, I should really get started as soon as possible" 

"What is the second part of the prophecy?" Dumbledore demanded "If it relates to the coming battle, I have to know"

"So you can guide Harry properly?" Hermione asked.

"Precisely"

"The way you guided him when you left him in a house full of people who hated him? Who starved him and beat him and belittled him every minute of every day?" Hermione stared at Dumbledore with contempt. He stared back at her for a moment, then smiled.

"Very well - since you seem intent on getting your brother, and quite probably everyone else, killed, then there is very little I can do to aid you. But remember - my door is always open, and help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it" He stood up "Your teachers will escort you back to your common rooms"

xoxox

"Victory" McGonagall turned from the portrait of The Fat Lady as it opened and looked at Harry and Hermione "Miss Potter-Granger - in light of what I heard this evening, I would advise you again to reconsider your attitude towards Professor Umbridge" 

"Why?" Hermione asked. 

"Because you clearly know what is at stake in this war, and drawing attention to yourself and your brother is not going to make your life any easier"

"Professor...." Hermione started, then shook her head "Never mind - it's not like you'd listen anyway" She turned and climbed through the portrait hole. McGonagall put her hand out and stopped Harry from following.

"Mr Potter - listen to the Headmaster's advice. He only wants what is best for you - what your parents would have wanted for you" 

"James and Lily would have wanted me to grow up as a human punch bag?" He asked sarcastically "Well - I guess it's a good job I have parents who care for me now" Before she could respond, he climbed through the portrait hole as well, to find Hermione waiting for him on the other side.

"He gave in too easily. We need to warn the others"


	12. Year 5 - The High Inquisitor

"I have to admit, I am surprised you waited this long" Zaglog said, then gave a short laugh at the surprised expressions that greeted his statement.

"You were expecting us?" Jennifer asked, looking bemused "We only learned about this last night"

"It wasn't specifically this I was expecting" Zaglog leaned back in his chair "But the fact that you would eventually need to protect your minds, and maybe the minds of the rest of the adults, was becoming fairly self-evident" Jennifer blushed.

"I hadn't thought of it that way" She admitted.

"You've had a lot on your mind" Zaglog said sympathetically "But - to answer your original questions, my supervisors have already consented to the creation of a few more amulets" He paused "However, there is a minor problem with the two of you, I'm afraid"

"The crystals that you gave to the children are powered by their magic, and I would assume the rest of the adults would get similar crystals?" Sidney asked, and their host nodded "And because we have no magical cores, the crystals wouldn't work for us?"

"Unfortunately not" Zaglog shook his head "But, before you get too down hearted, I have found a potential solution" He picked up a box from the desk "Over the last few weeks, I have conducted a thorough inventory of all the Black and Potter-Granger vaults, and I came across these" He held the box out to Sidney, who took it and opened it. He looked inside, then back up at Zaglog.

"Bracelets?" He asked in surprise. Zaglog nodded, his face darkening.

"Although the House of Potter has always been considered a Light family, there are a few parts of the family tree that are best forgotten about" He gestured at the box "These were designed by one Charles Xenuis Potter to protect his mind, and the mind of his twin brother Edward, no matter what method was used" 

"Including Veritaserum?" Jennifer asked, and Zaglog nodded.

"They can not be removed, except by the person who puts them on, and they are entirely powered by their own magic" 

"What were they designed for?" Sidney asked.

"You are much better off not knowing, Sidney" Zaglog replied "As I said - there are dark parts in everyone's history if you look hard enough" He looked at the twin bracelets "I would say, regardless of what they were originally designed for, they will be of use to you now" Jennifer looked at them, then reached out and picked on up.

"Any side effects?" She asked with a smile "I mean - if they were designed for a purpose so bad that you won't even speak of it...." She stopped as Zaglog held up his hands.

"I promise the bracelets are not evil in and of themselves, and they will not alter your morality or change you in any way, other than making sure Professor Dumbledore will not be able to read your mind - nor will any of his lackeys" Jennifer nodded, then slipped the bracelet on. A moment later, Sidney took the other one and put it on.

"Thank you, Zaglog" Jennifer said sincerely "We are, once again, in your debt"

"I think not, Jennifer" He shook his head "You could easily have carried out your coming plans without involving us at all, and there would have been very little we could have done to prevent you" He smiled "By trusting us with your plans, you have ensured that we both benefit from the outcome - and for that, we are most certainly in your debt" Jennifer started to reply, but Zaglog held up his hand "I know what you will say - that you would not have conceived of doing anything other than what you did, but never the less - the entire goblin nation appreciates what you did and considers it a great honour" Jennifer and Sidney exchanged surprised glances.

"Wow" Sidney said a few moments later "In that case, we'll merely say thank you, and not take up any more of your time" They both stood up.

"The crystals will be waiting at the main reception desk on your way out" Zaglog smiled "And please pass my compliments on to your daughter and her friends"

xoxox

Hermione walked in to The Great Hall, and sat down next to her brother.

"Mum and Dad just let me know that they went to Gringotts early this morning. And now the magical adults in our group all have crystal similar to us, and Mum and Dad have what they described as magical bracelets" She shrugged "I've never heard of them, but Zaglog promised that their minds would be protected"

"Cool" Harry smiled "So Dumbledore won't be able to get hold of the second prophecy?" Hermione gave him a sly smile.

"Not unless we leave it lying around where someone could find it" She said, waggling her eyebrows. Harry looked at her for a moment, then let a smile cross his face.

"I'll let the others know, and we'll see what we can come up with while you are in your detention" He paused "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Pretty sure, yeah" She nodded "I mean - she clearly doesn't like me, and no doubt it will be something icky or humiliating, but nothing worse"

"She has The Ministry, and Scrimgeour, behind her" Harry reminded her, and she nodded "So - just be careful okay"

"I will" She glanced at her watch "And on that topic...." She stood up "I'll be back later - I an idea for GW's birthday, but I wanted to run it by you first" He looked at her curiously.

"Care to give me a hint?" He asked.

"Later, brother of mine" She stood up, and slipped her stuff in to her bag "Okay - in to the valley of the shadow she rode...."

xoxox

"Ah - Miss Granger, please come in" Umbridge smiled ingratiatingly as Hermione walked "Thank you for being prompt - tardiness is something I can not abide" Hermione simply came to a halt, her arms by her sides "If you would like to take a seat, we will begin in a moment" Hermione glanced at the seat, then slowly sat down in it.

"Miss Granger...."

"My name is Potter-Granger, Professor" Hermione said politely. Umbridge stared at her for a moment.

"You think that just because you stole Mr Potter from his relatives you have the right to claim his name?" She asked with polite skepticism.

"The union of our two families was ratified by both The Wizengamot and The Ministry, Professor" Hermione continued in the same polite tone "However, if you wish to refer to me as Miss Granger, please feel free - I will not take any offence at your disrespect"

"You aren't afraid of anything, are you Miss Granger?" Hermione looked up at her.

"Professor, when I was seven years old, I found the beaten, bloody body of my best friend Emily. Her arm had been ripped out at the shoulder, and a part of her leg eaten" She paused, then shrugged "When you see the most terrifying and horrific thing that early in life, it is very hard to be afraid of anything later on" Umbridge stared back at her, then turned to her desk and picked up a black quill.

"That is a very compelling story, Miss Granger" She smiled "However, I can not let your willful insolence go unremarked and unpunished. People like you think you should be free to say what you want, when you want, and you never consider the consequences of what you say" She shook her head "We are at war with You Know Who, Miss Granger, and the remarks you find so amusing and witty could be considered treason" She put the quill down in front of Hermione "It is time you learned your place, Miss Granger. Pick up the quill" Hermione looked at it, then slowly picked it up.

"I would like you to write 'I must learn my place'" Umbridge continued.

"How many times?" 

"Until the message sinks in" Umrbidge smiled a saccharine smile. Hermione looked down at the paper, then started to write. A moment later, she felt a sting on the back of her hand.

"Something wrong, Miss Granger?" Hermione looked up at her.

"What could be wrong, Professor?" She replied, then continued writing, ignoring the ever increasing pain in her right hand.

xoxox

An hour later, after Umbridge had dismissed her, she walked along the corridor towards The Room of Requirement, then walked inside, letting the door vanish behind her.

"I need to go to The White Room" She said quietly. A moment later, a door appeared in front of her.

xoxox

"Hermione?" Daniel looked round in surprise as Hermione walked in to the front room.

"I need you to get my parents, Mrs Longbottom and Mr Lovegood" She said quietly. He looked at her, then frowned as he realised she was cradling her right arm.

"Hermione - what's wrong?" He asked.

"Mr Perks.... Daniel - please. I will explain everything, but I don't want to do it more than once" Her voice caught a little, and he bounded over to her, pulling her in to a hug.

"Sit down - I'll get the others, and come back in a moment" He guided her over to a seat, then walked over to the floo. She watched him talk for a few moments, then he pulled his head out of the flames and walked over to sit next to her.

"Do the others know where you are?" He asked quietly. She looked over at him, then smiled.

"I knew there was something" She pulled the communications crystal out of her pocket, and tapped it once. It lit up "Farm Boy?"

"Snidge? Where are you?" He asked urgently.

"I'm with Daniel" She replied "Can you let the others know I am okay, but I won't be back for a little while?"

"What's wrong?" Harry pressed. Hermione smiled softly.

"I will tell you when I get back" She replied. There was a pause at the other end.

"I'll let the others know" Harry said eventually "But can you let me know when you're coming back - I will come and meet you" 

"Thank you, little brother" She smiled as the crystal shut down. She leaned back in the chair, and closed her eyes. 

"Honey?" She opened her eyes to find her mother staring down at her, with the other adults stood behind her.

"Hi Mum" She smiled happily, then looked past her "Thank you all for coming. I need your help, and it can't wait"

"What's wrong, love?" Sidney asked. Hermione sat up straight.

"I had detention with Professor Umbridge tonight" She said calmly "I think it's safe to say she isn't my biggest fan" 

"What happened?" Augusta asked.

"Well - she started by accusing me and my parents of stealing Harry from his relatives to gain control of The House of Potter" Hermione said, shaking her head "Then she told me that I was committing treason by daring to speak my mind" She paused "Then she gave me a black quill, and told me to write 'I must learn my place' until the message sank in" Augusta's eyes went wide, as did Daniel's.

"What kind of quill was this?" Augusta asked, leaning forward. Hermione raised her right hand, and showed the group the words that were now engraved on the back of it. Daniel swore loudly, Eric closed his eyes and Augusta leaned back in her seat, her eyes flashing with anger.

"She made you write with a contract quill?" Eric asked after a moment. 

"I don't know what it's called, but I would guess yes" Hermione nodded. Eric looked over at her parents.

"A contract quill is used to sign magically binding documents - it takes the blood of the user and inscribes it" He said, his voice filled with quiet fury "However because they are essentially torture devices, use of them for any other purpose is universally considered a heinous crime on a par with using the unforgivable curses" Jennifer looked round at her daughter.

"How long?" She asked quietly.

"An hour" Hermione replied, and her mother pulled her in to a hug while her father let out a long slow breath, then turned to the others.

"Eric, Daniel, Augusta - I am not entirely clued up on the way the magical world works, but is there anything to prevent me finding this bitch and killing her?" Hermione burst out laughing. 

"As the Head of one of the most powerful houses, you can pretty much do what you want" Eric grinned "But since it would have to be a magical fight, there is the chance it might not end as well as you want" Sidney stared at him, then smiled.

"Oh well - plan b" He turned to Hermione "I am guessing you have some idea what you want to do about this?" 

"Well - as Eric pointed out, you and Mum are the heads of one of the most powerful Houses in The Wizengamot" She looked at the other three adults "And along with the Heads of the House of Longbottom and Black and the editor of one of the most well-read papers in the country, I would say the five of you are capable of pretty much anything" She paused, then smiled the most wicked smile her parents had ever seen her smile.

"I want you to see The Minister tomorrow morning and tell him what his hand-picked Defence Teacher did to your daughter. Make it clear that we don't want to take this public unless we have to, but that the evidence is undeniably clear and that we will if we have to" She smiled "If you want to ask for anything else, feel free, but all I want is a sworn promise that she won't use it on anyone else in the school and that she will turn it over to either the Headmaster or Gringotts for destruction" She paused "I'd like her to promise to be fair to everyone and treat everyone equally, but I think that might be asking too much" Jennifer smiled at her, making her blush "What?"

"Every time I think you can't surprise me, you manage to prove me wrong" Hermione's blush deepened "Very well - we'll go and see The Minister first thing in the morning" She looked down at her daughter's hand "Do you want us to take care of that?" Hermione looked at it, then back up.

"Can you take a few photos of it first? Just in case we need to provide evidence to The DMLE?" 

"Of course" Daniel nodded, then he got up and walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a camera.

After he had taken a few pictures, he put it down on the sideboard, then turned to Augusta.

"I'm afraid I don't know how to heal it - I haven't had a lot of experience" He said apologetically. Augusta smiled.

"Be glad" She moved over to sit next to Hermione, then pulled out her wand "I can either remove it, or I can remove it and return it to the person who inflicted it" Hermione blinked a few times, then sighed.

"If we are going to catch her by surprise, she can't know I've been here" She replied, then glanced at her mother "And if I sink to her level - if I inflict the pain on her just because I can - what makes me any better than she is?" Jennifer smiled.

"Very well" Augusta waved her hand over Hermione's and a moment later Hermione let out a long, slow sigh of relief.

"Thank you" She hugged Augusta "That feels so much better"

"I would imagine" Augusta smiled. Hermione leaned back in her seat, then sighed again.

"I should get going - Farm Boy is going to be going mental over where I am" 

"We'll let you know how we go tomorrow" Sidney replied "Although my guess is once Scrimgeour learns what she has done, he will want to do something"

"We can only hope" Hermione laughed, then got slowly to her feet, then hugged each of the adults in turn "Thank you - all of you" She smiled, then she and Jennifer walked out of the lounge, heading towards The White Room.

"Mum - can you do me a favour?" She asked.

"Always" Her mother nodded "What do you need?"

"It's Luna's birthday pretty soon, and I have an idea about what we can do for it - but I need some help in sorting it out" Hermione smiled "And I want to invite everyone who can come, including Viktor if that's okay?"

"Of course" Jennifer grinned "So - what's your idea?"

xoxox

Harry looked up, then let a small smile cross his face as Hermione walked up and sat down on the arm of his chair.

"Do you have a moment?" She asked.

"For you - always" He smiled, then scooped up the books in front of him and put them in his bag "The dorms?" She nodded, and then followed him up to the fifth year boys' dorms.

He closed the door, then turned round to find her sat on his bed. He walked over and sat down next to her.

"She tortured me" Hermione said quietly. Harry looked at her, then put his arm around her shoulder "She made me write lines with a contract quill, and it engraved them in to my hand" She leaned her head against his shoulder "Augusta healed me, and she, Daniel, Eric and Mum and Dad are going to see Scrimgeour tomorrow" Harry smiled softly.

"You want to make sure that she doesn't do this to anyone else" He said, still smiling. She lifted up her head and looked at him with a grin.

"Pretty much" She nodded "Which is why I need your help - can you ask the others to ask around to find out if anyone else has had a detention with her?" 

"Of course" He pulled out his crystal "If anyone has....?"

"Ask them to come and see me at breakfast" Hermione replied "I'll make sure they are taken care of" She paused "If Mum and Dad and the others are successful, it should be the end of it, but just in case, make sure people know this applies from now on - I will talk to anyone who gets hurt in the future" He nodded "Thank you" She leaned over and kissed his cheek "And now, since I have had a very busy evening, I think I'm going to go to bed"

xoxox

The next morning, the rest of the group converged on the end of the Gryffindor table, and sat down around her. 

"Anyone else?" She asked, then her smiled widened as they all shook their heads "Thank god" She glanced up The Hall to the staff table, and let a small file cross her face. The others looked round, then Neville looked back.

"I heard that she left about half past eight - urgent summons from The Ministry" He said "They must have got an early start?"

"When Mum and Dad are pissed off about something, they don't hang around" Ginny smiled "I suspect by now they will already be home, waiting to see what Scrimgeour does about all this" 

"With any luck, she comes back in twenty parts and we feed her to the giant squid" Sally said in a low voice. Hermione looked at her curiously "I can't stand bullies and thugs, and bullies and thugs with badges...." Hermione grinned.

"Somehow I don't think we'll be that lucky" She said, still smiling "But if it was only me, Scrimgeour might not be all that eager to overly punish her" She paused "Hopefully Scrimgeour will force her to submit, and that will be an end of it. But if it isn't - make sure everyone knows that if they don't want to deal with it themselves, they can come and talk to me and I will make sure they are sorted out" Everyone nodded.

"If I could have your attention please?" McGonagall moved to stand at the front of The Hall "Professor Umbridge has been called away to The Ministry this morning, and is expected back at lunch. Headmaster Dumbledore will cover her classes, so attend them as normal"

"Oh joy" Luna and Ginny said in unison. 

"Look at it this way - at least you might actually learn something" Blaise smiled.

"Which is more than the rest of us have" Harry added darkly.

xoxox

"Professor McGonagall - the Headmaster would like to speak to Miss Potter-Granger" A second year Hufflepuff stood at the door to the Transfiguration classroom, looking slightly nervous.

"Did Professor Dumbledore say whether it could wait until after the lesson?" McGonagall asked.

"He said it was urgent" The Hufflepuff replied. McGonagall looked over at the desk where Harry and Hermione were sat.

"Miss Potter-Granger" Hermione sighed, then nodded. She started packing up her books, then stood up.

"If you need to catch up, come and see me this evening" McGonagall said.

"Thank you, Professor" Hermione nodded again, then she slung her bag over her shoulder and looked down at Harry "Lunch?"

"Unless I get a better offer" He grinned "Remember - don't talk to strangers and try not to get lost"

"And no making chips or toffee" She grinned back at him, then walked over to where the second year was waiting "Lead on McDuff"

"My name is Perkins" 

xoxox

"Miss Potter-Granger - have a seat" Hermione walked in to the office and sat down in front of his desk. Dumbledore picked up a parchment from his desk, and held it out to her "Would you care to explain this?" 

"It's a piece of parchment" She replied "People use it for writing on" Dumbledore slammed the parchment on the desk.

"Miss Granger - while I am sure, at the appropriate time and place, your sense of humour is a wonderful thing, this is neither the appropriate time or place" He waved at the parchment "This arrived half an hour ago - it is a directive from The Ministry naming Dolores Umbridge as a High Inquisitor" Hermione stared back at him impassively.

"I'm afraid I don't know the term, sir" She replied.

"I'm not surprised - the last time one was appointed was a few hundred years before I was born, and his appointment nearly triggered a civil war" He handed her the parchment "This gives her virtually unlimited authority to interfere with the running of the school, to evaluate the teachers and support staff and to makes changes when she sees fit" Hermione looked over the parchment, then looked up.

"And Scrimgeour is getting round The Charter how?" She asked.

"By assuming that I am not in a position to challenge him, which - after my attempts to undo Mr Potter's mistake this summer - I am not" Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Sir - while I admit this is somewhat disturbing, I am curious what it has to do with me?" She put the parchment back on his desk "Why am I here instead of learning how to become a unicorn?"

"Because along with this proclamation announcing Professor Umbridge's new position, I got a letter saying that this action was prompted by - amongst other things - a meeting with your parents, the new Regent to The House of Black, the Regent to The House of Longbottom and the editor of The Quibbler" He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk and looking at her intently "May I ask what this meeting was about?"

"Do you know what a contract quill is, Headmaster?" She asked quietly. 

"Of course - they are used by Gringotts to seal magically binding contracts" He replied.

"Can you think of any other reason they would be used?" 

"None come to mind, no" He shook his head.

"So you wouldn't say that forcing a students to write lines was a reasonable use for one?" Dumbledore's mouth fell open in surprise "I'm guessing that's a no?"

"Are you saying Professor Umbridge tortured you?" He asked "With a contract quill?"

"Yes, Professor. Last night, during the detention she gave me for telling the truth, she made me write lines with a contract quill" Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, looking at her incredulously.

"Why didn't your report this to Professor McGonagall, or myself?" He asked "Was it necessary to go running straight to The Minister?"

"I did not go running to The Minister, sir" She shook her head "I merely told my parents what had happened, and they decided to talk to The Minister about it" She paused "But given your lecture about not confronting Professor Umbridge, what would you have done? Would you have confronted her? Or would you have told me to keep my head down and not make waves?" 

"Do you really believe I would stand by and let my students be tortured, Miss Potter-Granger?" He asked.

"Last year you put my brother, and an eight year old girl, underwater for two hours, not to mention subjecting me to any number of dangerous situations" She shrugged, then - before he could reply - she added "I knew my parents would act, Headmaster, even if I did not know what it would be - and whether I am right or wrong, the same can not be said for you" She looked down at the parchment "I assume Professor Umbridge is going to make some kind of statement about this?"

"At the evening meal" Dumbledore nodded, then looked at her sympathetically "Miss Potter-Granger, if you had come to me, instead of throwing this in Minister Scimgeour's face, then I could have handled it in a more delicate manner" 

"I came to you two nights ago to complain about Professor Umbridge, Headmaster, and you told me to sit down and shut up and behave like a good little girl" She shook her head "And while I am sorry that the school is going to suffer because of this, I have a feeling I am not the one who is going to get the blame" She smiled "Is there anything else, sir? It is nearly lunch time, and my family worries about me if I am not there" 

xoxox

".....and so, The Minister has asked me to investigate every aspect of Hogwarts' life, to ensure that people are getting the best education possible" Umbridge turned her sickly-sweet smile on everyone in The Great Hall "That way, we can ensure that the views and opinions of those who think they know more than they should can not detract from the fine history of education Hogwarts provides, and can not destroy the centuries of tradition we enjoy in the wizarding world" She turned her head, ever so slightly, until she was staring at the end of the Gryffindor table.

"And to ensure that those who see fit to question the methods of The Ministry can be suitably educated to understand that The Minister is only looking out for the best interests of the whole, and that sometimes the greater good must be put above fleeting personal discomfort" Hermione simply stared back at her, a look of defiance in her eyes.

"Thank you" Umbridge turned and walked back to her seat, leaving The Hall in silence. Dumbledore waited a few moments, then rose to his feet.

"Thank you Professor Umbridge for that announcement" He said "And now - let the feast begin" 

xoxox

An hour later, as they made their way towards The Chamber, Hermione informed the others that Jennifer had got in touch earlier that day and said that Gringotts had received the contract quill, and had destroyed it. 

"And although she might have another one somewhere, I don't think she will be using it on any more students" She finished "Which, you know - is a good thing"

"And this investigation business?" Neville asked.

"It is somewhat annoying, but honestly? I can't really bring myself to care" Hermione admitted "Any changes that she brings in won't affect us" She paused, then grinned "At least not for very long"

xoxox

A few nights later, Hermione looked up from her plate to find Fred, George, Hannah, Susan, Padma Patil and Marcus Belby stood in front of her.

"Erm... hi?" She looked at them. Hannah glanced up the length of The Hall, then turned back and nodded.

"We want to ask you a favour" Susan said quietly. 

"Ask away" Hermione replied. Susan looked at the others, then turned back to Hermione.

"We want you to restart The Study Group"


	13. Year 5 - Buccaneers

Hermione looked around at the students assembled in The Room of Requirement and smiled. 

"You are all here because you want to learn" She said, then smiled "Why you want to learn from me is a mystery, but if I get worried every time the universe hands me a mystery, I'm going to be worried most of the time" She paused as there was a ripple of laughter "I am quite happy to lead this little group, but, if possible, I want it run on the same lines as The Study Group was originally - we learn from each other, we study together and we help each other when we get stuck" There was a murmur of agreement "However, unlike the original group, there will be more focus on spell casting, particularly in the realm of defence" There was a more appreciative murmur, and she smiled.

"I do have three conditions though - one is for my benefit, and the others are for everyone" She held up a roll of parchment "Everyone who wants to attend must sign this contract. It basically says you will keep these meetings a secret, and agree to a secrecy spell being put on you to help you do this"

"What kind of spell?" A sixth year asked from the back.

"It will prevent you from discussing this group with anyone who doesn't know about it" Sally explained from the side of the room "And it will kick in whether you know it or not, so that if someone is trying to eavesdrop, you will be silenced"

"Does that mean we can't invite anyone else?" The same sixth year asked.

"Pretty much" Hermione nodded "However, my friends and I won't be signing this, so if you want to invite someone else, ask us, and we will talk to them" She paused "I realise this seems overly paranoid, but....."

"But Umbridge is out to get you" Fred called out, making her smile.

"And anyone who stands with me" She grinned "Which includes all of you, by the by" There was a wave of laughter "Anyway - if you don't want to sign, you don't have to, but you will have to be obliviated before you leave so that you can't tell" 

"By you?" Marcus stared at her sceptically.

"No - not by me" She shook her head "I'm good, but I think if I tried it....." She trailed off, then shook her head again "Suffice to say, you'll have your memory of this meeting and the group wiped by someone who knows what they are doing. Which, by the way, is the second reason for the contract" She turned "Professor?" There was a gasp of surprise as Flitwick walked out of the shadows at the front of the room.

"Miss Potter-Granger" Flitwick turned to the rest of the students "Miss Potter-Granger asked me if I would help with this group since you might require someone to reverse the effects of miscast spells" He smiled.

"Professor Flitwick has already signed the contract, and it will be he who is casting that spell" Hermione continued "And finally I think that we're going to have to break this up in to smaller groups" She looked over the students, counting in her head, coming to around fifty "If this many of you vanish on a regular basis, someone is going to notice" She looked at Luna, who nodded and pulled out her wand.

"Raxmalli!" She called. A moment later, three burst of light - red, green and blue - shot out of her wand. They hovered in the air for a moment, then exploded into a lot of smaller balls. Each of these moved over the group of students, then came to a halt in front of one student each.

"These will be the groups you are in" Luna said after a moment "As you see, they're almost completely at random. If you want to change, come and see me, but the numbers in each group have to stay more or less the same so you'd have to swap with someone"

"The schedules for the groups will be announced later, once I figure out how to do it without alerting people" Hermione continued "I will try to avoid interfering with quidditch practices and so on, and during the week before a match they might get suspended altogether, and if you can't make a meeting, don't worry about it - I'd rather you not risk it than get caught" She took a deep breath "Any questions?" She looked around, but no one raised their hand.

"Okay then - if you could all come up to sign the contract, that's it for tonight"

xoxox

After everyone had left, Hermione handed the parchment to Flitwick.

"I really can't thank you enough, Professor" She said sincerely "I know the risk you are taking with this, and I am truly grateful"

"Umbridge, and Dumbledore, are wrong" He said simply "We all have a choice between what is right and what is easy, and I'll be damned if I take the path of least resistance" Hermione grinned.

"I'll get you a schedule as soon as I figure it out" She grinned, then, glancing behind her, she lowered her voice "And if you'd like to come along, we'll be holding GW's party here in a week"

"I would consider it an honour" He replied in an equally quiet voice, then he returned to his normal tone "And now I have to go - my papers won't mark themselves" He paused, then grinned "Well - okay, they do mark themselves, but you know what I mean" He waved to the others, then turned and bounded out of the room. Hermione walked over and sat down with the others.

"That was pretty much successful" She said, leaning back in to the comfy chair "Hopefully we won't have any problems, but I guess we'll see" 

"We know everyone here, and trust most of them" Sally replied "Anyone we didn't trust, we didn't invite" She glanced at Blaise "Which includes pretty much the whole of Slytherin"

"I know" He sighed "I mean - most of them are not dark, per se, but they would be willing to sell us out if they thought they'd get better treatment for them or their families" 

"Cunning and ambition?" Ginny asked with a smile, but Blaise shook his head.

"Just plain, naked ambition" He said sadly "What with the wars and Dumbledore's manipulations, it is very rare to find someone in Slytherin who truly embodies the House qualities" He looked at Hermione "You and your parents, for example" Hermione smiled and nodded "You have the ambition, but you also have the cunning and slyness to carry out your plans without attracting attention and, while you want to succeed, you don't mind if other people do as well"

"I think Snape said the same thing once" She admitted, then laughed and added "Except for the succeeding part"

"A few hundred years ago it was fine - people knew that Slytherins were ambitious and wiley, but they also knew that they were generally trustworthy along with that" He smiled "If you are sorted in to Slytherin now, you might as well wear a sign saying 'I will stab you in your bed if I think I would get something out of it'" 

"Present company excepted of course" Neville laughed. Blaise grinned.

"I blame that on Snidge" He grinned at Hermione.

"Good to know I am good for something" She replied with a similar grin "And - on an entirely unrelated topic - since our most beloved GW turns fifteen in seven days, I have taken the liberty of putting something together for next week" There was a babble of noise and she held up her hand "However, since it is going to be a surprise, you will have to wait until then to find out what it is" She paused, then laughed at the six expressions facing her "Oh for a camera...."

xoxox

"Miss Nissa, Miss Galinda" Dobby appeared behind Luna and Ginny as they walked back towards Ravenclaw tower.

"Dobby!" Luna grinned "How have you been?"

"I is being fine, Miss Galinda" Dobby smiled shyly "Mistress Snidge asks me to give you her compliments, and to tell you the party is ready and that if you are going to your rooms, you will be finding subtitle attire" Both girls smiled.

"Thank you Dobby" Ginny replied. Dobby gave her a big grin, then vanished. 

"So - shall we?" She asked Luna.

xoxox

Sally stared down at the clothes laid out on her bed, and smiled.

xoxox

Neville picked up the jacket, put it on and looked at himself in the mirror.

"Oh my" He said softly.

xoxox

Blaise finished dressing, then put the hat on his head.

xoxox

Harry picked up the last part of the costume, and put it on. Then he looked around, and his eyes widened slightly as a door appeared in the air behind him.

xoxox

Blaise looked the door up and down, then pulled it open.

"Well - bugger me"

xoxox

Sally walked through the door, then looked around to see Harry and Blaise appearing through two other doors.

"When your sister sets her mind to something, she really goes all out" She remarked as the two boys caught up with her.

"Wow" They turned as Neville walked up to them "This is amazing" He looked around "This is where we're having a party?" Before anyone could reply, another door appeared, and Luna and Ginny walked out of it. They both stopped dead, looking around. A few moments later, Luna turned to face the rest, and let out a laugh.

"Is anyone else detecting a theme here?" She asked with a grin. She, along with the other five, were all dressed as pirates and they were standing on a long, sandy beach. In the distance there was a long wooden dock sticking out in to the ocean.

"Though it does beg the question" Harry looked around "If we are all pirates, where is the ship?" They all looked over at the dock, but there was no ship at the end of it.

"Maybe it will be arriving soon" Luna suggested, then she blinked in surprise "Is it me, or was that chest not there a few moments ago?" The others turned and followed her gaze, then all six of them walked along the beach to the edge of the dock. Harry looked down at it curiously.

"It's fairly intricate, and very well made" He took a step back then looked it up and down again.

"Harry - don't you know it is very rude to stare at a lady's chest?" Harry span round as Sidney, Jennifer, Hermione, Viktor and the other parents walked in from the other side of the beach, all dressed in a similar fashion to them. 

"Daddy!" Luna bolted past the group to throw herself in to her father's arms.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart" He kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you" She turned to Hermione "Thank you!" She bounded over and kissed her cheek.

"You are welcome, but we're not quite done yet" She turned to the dock, then smirked at Harry "So, little brother - before you started examining my chest - I believe you were asking about a boat?" Harry smirked.

"It is a very nice chest" He replied, then glanced at Viktor "No offence"

"None taken" Viktor laughed in reply, then looked at Hermione "I believe you were saying something about a ship, my lady?" 

"Oh yes" Hermione nodded, then she clicked her fingers. There was a flash of light, and when it faded, a large three masted galleon appeared at the end of the dock.

"Ladies and gentlemen - the Privateer Ship Emily, under the command of Captain Glinda The Good" Hermione bowed politely to Luna, and everyone else followed suit. Luna grinned.

"And what is the itinerary for this evening's festivities, First Mate Snidge?" She asked regally.

"Well - once we've boarded, the PSE will sail itself out in to the open waters, and the crew" She paused, and smiled at the others "That would be you, by the way"

"We figured" Blaise replied with a smile.

"The crew and Captain will enjoy a feast and then - well, then we shall see what happens next" She paused, then turned to Daniel "Bosun Perks, would you be good enough to cast your spell, please?" 

"Aye-Aye, First Made Snidge" Daniel grinned, then pulled out his wand "Taram Fullash naMalus Devat" A wave of blue light swept through the group, then Daniel nodded "I'm done"

"Thank you" Hermione turned back to Luna "Captain - your crew is ready to command"

xoxox

Nearly two hours later, Luna put down her spoon and pushed her bowl away. 

"That was lovely" She smiled, looking at Hermione "Who do I have to thank?"

"Dobby, and a few of the other elves" Hermione replied "They were only too happy to help"

"I will do it tomorrow" Luna smiled again "So - why pirates?" 

"Sorry?" Hermione looked at her questioningly, noticing everyone else was listening as well. Luna waved her hand around the ship.

"Just curious" Luna admitted "Wondering what prompted The PSE and so forth" 

"A combination of two things really" Hermione grinned "We are setting ourselves up against The Ministry and Dumbledore and helping everyone who needs our help whether we stay in the rules or not" 

"Smugglers?" Angelo asked.

"Buccaneers" Hermione replied with a smile "Known for running blockades, smuggling food and supplies to people who need them" 

"I like that idea" Luna smiled "What was the second thing?"

"Today is the first annual International Talk Like A Pirate Day" Hermione said with a wide grin "All around the world, there be people talking like they are"

"Really?" Luna asked.

"YARRRRRRRRRRR!" Hermione yelled, and a moment later the others took up the same cry. 

"So - that be why we be on the good ship Emily" Hermione continued, then frowned "I am really bad at pirate accents" 

"Yarrrrrrrrrrrr!" Luna grinned, then she jumped to her feet, staring out across the side of the ship "First mate? Bosun? Are you seein' what I'm seein?" Hermione looked round, and smiled.

"Three ships, comin' up fast, Cap'n" She turned to Eric and Sidney "Could you be bringin'...." She paused "Seriously - I need more practice at this" She shrugged ".... the chest?"

"Aye-aye!" Sidney grinned, then he and Eric carried the large chest over and put it down in front of her.

"Thank you" She nodded, then turned back to Luna "Now Captain Glinda, there be a choice you have to make" She gestured to the ships "The MSS Umbridge, Dumbledore and Scrimgeour are all on patrol, but will leave us unmolested since we are a simple merchant vessel" She paused "Or, we could run up our true flag, and let the battle be joined" Luna looked at her thoughtfully, but Hermione continued.

"Before you make your choice - and yes I know I've slipped out of the role - I have presents" She looked at the other students "Presents for all seven of us" She turned and flipped the chest open, then looked back "Since it is GW's birthday, I think she should be first" Hermione reached in to the chest and pulled out a medium sized sword.

"Luna - this is a replica of The Sword of Aeons" Luna's eyes went wide with surprise, and Hermione smiled "You recognise the name?"

"Legend has it it was used during The Twilight to drive the old gods out of this plane of existence" Luna stared at the sword in a hushed voice.

"It's for you" Hermione held it out, and Luna took it with some reverence.

"Thank you" 

"You are most welcome" She turned to Harry "And for the birthday girl's boyfriend, The Master Sword from the lost realm of Hyrule" Harry let out a long slow breath, then took the sword from his sister.

"Used to liberate the realm from Gannondorf" He smiled "Thank you"

"Miss Black" Hermione drew another sword, making Sally gasp in surprise.

"Narsil?" She asked, and Hermione nodded.

"Good eye - most people would say Anduril" Hermione smiled.

"Anduril would be slightly more shiny, but in a choice between the two, I would take the one that killed a god any time" Sally replied quietly, then accepted the sword.

"Blaise.... sadly, I don't have a stone for you" She withdrew a fourth sword from the chest "However, even though I can not crown you King of Britain, I hope you will accept this" Blaise nodded, a look of amazement in his eyes.

"Thank you" He said quietly, taking the replica of Excalibur in to his hands.

"Ginny, when you first joined our family, you told me about one of your heroes"

"Nelkala?" Ginny let out a squeak, then blushed slightly "The sword that defeated the Greek gods and vanquished Grendel?" Hermione held it out with a nod, and Ginny slowly reached out and took it.

"Neville, for you I have the sword that vanquished the wolves, the southern giants and The White Witch herself" Neville bit his lip as she handed him Rhindon, the sword of the first High King of Narnia. Hermione then took a step back, and looked at her father. He smiled, then pulled out the last sword from the chest.

"And for my daughter, The Vorpal Sword" Hermione smiled as he held the sword out. She took it, attached it to her belt then took a step back so that the seven students stood in a line, all with swords at their belts. 

"So, Cap'n Glinda - what's it to be? Shall we sail on by, or cry havoc?" Luna took a step forward, then turned to face everyone. She paused for a moment, then grinned.

"HOIST THE COLOURS!"

xoxox

"Lin - behind you!" Luna span round, sword raised, and slashed at the clone that had crept up behind her.

After her initial declaration, she had - on Hermione's advice - assigned the adults to the task of steering the ship and manning the cannons - during which Sidney had informed her that the plural of cannon was, in fact, cannon - whilst the seven students and Viktor broke off in to couples to prevent anyone from boarding the ship, and - if it came to that - to do a little bit of boarding of their own.

Which was why she and Harry were, at that very moment, cutting a swathe through faceless clones that crewed the other ships.

"Thanks, hon" She called out, then she thrust her sword backwards, impaling another clone "So" She started fencing with what appeared to be a more advanced member of the crew "Having fun?"

"Oh yes" Harry shouted back without breaking off the fight with three separate clones "You?"

"YARRRRRRRR!" Luna bellowed, completing a horizontal slash that decapitated two clones. Harry laughed, then ducked and thrust his sword upward.

xoxox

"Come on you sea-dogs! I'll take you on all at once!" Working in two groups, Neville, Ginny, Blaise and Sally had cleared the deck of the MSS Scrimgeour and Sally was stood behind the wheel, steering the ship back towards The Emily. Blaise looked up at his girlfriend as he kept a watch on the cabin doors.

"Do you think we should go in?" He asked after a few minutes "See what's down there?"

"I think we should wait for the others" Neville suggested "Just in case there are more than we can handle" He leaned on the railing, and slipped his arm around Ginny "And just watching the sea is kind of fun"

"And romantic" She paused "You know -if Snidge and Farm Boy win their battles and capture the other two ships, that would give us four" She glanced up at Sally, who was now spinning the wheel round with gay abandon, despite the fact it was having no effect "Maybe for our next party, we have a four way shooting match?" 

"Sounds fun" Blaise said, watching as his girlfriend let go of the wheel and bounded down the stairs towards them "Hey sweetie - having fun?"

"Yarrrrrr!" Sally replied with a wide grin "This is amazing - glorious!" She threw her arms around Blaise and kissed him thoroughly "So - the cabins?"

"We thought we'd wait for help" Neville suggested. Sally stared at him, then grinned.

"What kind of Gryffindor talk is that? Are we men or are we mice?" 

"We're mice!" Blaise, Neville and Ginny replied in unison, making her laugh again.

"Fine - we'll stay out here and enjoy the view, instead of clearing out the ship of bad guys" She sighed, then, with a slight grin, added "Never mind that they might all swarm out of the cabins together and kill us where we stand" The other three exchanged glances, then Blaise turned to Sally.

"Okay, okay - we'll do it" He looked at the ship "Bow or stern?"

xoxox

"The stern, I think" Viktor said quietly. He and Hermione had snuck on board the MSS Dumbledore, and were now making their way through the lower decks before trying to take on the clones above decks.

"Aye-aye" Hermione replied, equally quietly. They crept along the passage, and looked in to the cabin.

"Six" Viktor turned back "You take the three on the right?" She nodded. He held up three fingers, then lowered one, then the next and when he lowered the third, they both charged in.

A moment later, Hermione's voice floated out of the cabin.

"Well - what do you know. It really does go snicker-snack"

xoxox

Eric looked out across the ocean at the other three ships, turned turned back to Jennifer and Sidney.

"So - how do you think they're doing?" He asked. Jennifer smiled, then waved her hand. A moment later, four images appeared in the air behind her, one of each group.

"Does that answer your question?" She grinned as he stared at her in surprise "It turns out that the magic is in the room, not in the people who use it" 

"Makes sense I suppose" He replied after a moment "It doesn't allow you to create anything, so...." He trailed off as he saw Luna and Harry stood back to back, fighting off a horde of clones on the MSS Umbridge "Should we do something about that?" Jennifer and Sidney turned, then Sidney smiled.

"Bosun Perks?" He bellowed. Daniel - stationed at the far end of the ship - turned.

"Yes, Ensign Tightpants?" Sidney rolled his eyes and looked at his wife.

"I blame you for this you know" He said.

"I actually do know that" She grinned back at him "And they are VERY tight pants" He smirked, then turned back to Daniel.

"The Umbridge - middle of the deck" He yelled, and Daniel nodded.

xoxox

Luna and Harry backed across the deck as the clones swarmed up in front of them. 

"So - are we screwed?" She asked. 

"I think so, yeah" He replied.

"You really should think more positively" She said with a grin. Harry opened his mouth, then shook his head.

"Too easy" He grinned "So - how do we get out of this?" He asked.

"Well - we could retreat a little, then come back fighting" Luna suggested "Or we could just go for it" She paused "What we really need is a well timed cannon-ball volley across the deck" As she finished speaking, a volley of three cannon-balls flew across the deck in front of them, blasting most of the clones in to the water. Luna stared at the water, then turned to Harry.

"And what we really need is an army of killer robots to finish the job off for us" She said hopefully. They both looked around for a few moments, then shrugged "Well - okay, I guess we have to do it ourselves!" 

xoxox

"Good shot!" Jennifer called out with an impressed grin.

"Thank you!" Daniel called back, then turned to scan the oceans again. Eric looked up at the screen and smiled proudly.

"They're good" He said, watching as Luna and Harry fought their way across the deck of the MSS Umbridge, then he turned to Jennifer "Did you know they were that good?"

"No" Jennifer shook her head "I mean - I know they've been training, but they've keep it pretty much to themselves" She looked up at the four images again "They know it's coming, but I don't think they want to worry us about it by showing how dangerous it really is"

"And there's nothing we can do to help?" Angelo asked, coming up from the starboard side of the ship "We can't go in to the black with them?" Jennifer gestured to the images, showing the eight students fighting their hearts out on the various ships.

"Do you really think we can keep up with them?"

xoxox

An hour later, Luna, stood at the wheel of the MSS Umbridge, lead the four ships back to the dock, then strode down the gangplank to the rapturous applause of the rest of the group.

"Captain Galinda - the spoils of your conquest" Hermione gave a deep bow as Luna walked up to her "The fleet is yours, my Captain, and should you wish to roam again, it will be here for you" Luna grinned at her.

"Thank you" She flung her arms around Hermione and hugged her tightly "Thank you - a thousand times. This has been..... amazing"

"I live to serve" Hermione smiled back, then looked around "If you would like to wait here, I will escort our gallant crew home" 

xoxox

"Thank you" Eric gave Hermione a hug "I haven't seen her so happy in a long, long time" Hermione smiled.

"I thought we should get the most out of the school while we can" She replied, then turned to Angelo and Lusysia "You realise I have no idea how to top this for Fin's birthday, right?"

"We were wondering" Angelo grinned "We'll give it some thought, and get back to you"

"I would be most grateful" She grinned back at them, then turned back to the door in the middle of The White Room and pulled it open. She gave them all a final wave, then ducked in to the door back to The Room of Requirement to find everyone waiting for her.

"Captain Galinda, do you need your fleet for anything else?" She asked, and Luna smiled, then shook her head "Okay then" Hermione looked up "Room - can we have our clubhouse?" There was a brief flicker, and suddenly they were all stood in Slytherin's study. 

"Woah!" Harry stared down at his belt, then back up at his sister "They're still here?" The others all looked down to find the swords were still resting by their hips.

"Did I not mention they were real?" Hermione asked with an innocent grin "Ooops" She looked at her watch, then looked up again "Room - we need a door to our actual clubhouse, but one that will stay open so we can come back" A wooden door appeared in front of her.

"I thought we could leave them in Slytherin's study" She explained "Because I think someone is going to notice if we start carrying swords around the school" 

"You would hope" Sally laughed. 

"So - GW, if you would like to lead us through?" Hermione asked, and Luna grinned.

"I would be honoured"

xoxox

Luna's eyes snapped open, and - after a few moments of panic - she realised she was staring at the top of her bed. She pulled her arm out from under the covers. touched her cheek and wasn't surprised to find tears.

**flashback**

Luna finds herself in her garden at home, staring out at the sunset. She realises she has reverted to being six years old, but it doesn't seem strange.

"Hello, my little moon" She turns to find her mother stood next to her, also staring at the setting sun.

"Mummy" Luna jumps up and a moment later she is enfolded in her mother's arms.

"Happy birthday, my girl" Her mother whispers "Did you enjoy your party?"

"I did" Luna nods with a fond smile "Snidge really outdid herself"

"She is truly wonderful" Her mother nods "But more - she has taken the first step towards your final victory" Luna looks up at her curiously "You will realise what I mean soon enough, my sweet wonderful daughter, but for now just know that you and your friends are going to do great things, and that I am so, so proud of you" Her mother kisses the top of her head, then together they sit down and watch the sun set beyond the horizon.

**end flashback**

"I miss you Mummy" She whispered quietly, then closed her eyes again. A few moments later, as she passed from wakefulness to sleep, her mother's voice seemed to drift through the room again.

"Happy birthday, my darling"


	14. Year 5 - Musketeers

"Pardon me?" Umbridge turned round to face Hermione, looking slightly perplexed as she did.

"I asked why vampires don't have reflections, Professor" Hermione repeated. Umbridge stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"It's because they don't have souls, Miss Granger" She replied with a tone suggesting her answer was self-evident "Now if we might.... yes, Miss Granger?"

"Why does not having a soul mean you don't have a reflection?" Hermione asked, then she pointed to the large window at the end of the classroom "I mean - I can see the whole room reflected in that window, and I am pretty sure that not everything in this room has a soul" Umbridge turned to look at the window, then turned back.

"And what if we brought someone who had been Kissed by a dementor here and put them in front of a mirror?" Hermione added "Would they appear? Or would they have no reflection?"

"They do have a reflection" Hermione looked round as Tracy Davies called out "My father works at Azkaban, and he says that prisoners who have been Kissed do cast reflections in mirrors" Umbridge stared at them, then shrugged.

"Perhaps it is more complicated than is generally believed" She said "But for whatever reason, vampires do not cast a reflection, which is one way to detect them...." 

xoxox

After the lesson had finished, Hermione, Blaise and Harry walked back towards The Great Hall. 

"So - that was fun" Hermione grinned. The two boys grinned back.

"You know if you keep baiting her, she is just going to get more and more angry" Harry replied. Hermione laughed.

"I know" She nodded "But honestly, the thing about the vampires has been bugging me for a while, and I thought since she was...." Hermione modified her voice to a high pitched simper "....the foremost expert on dark and dangerous creatures....." Her voice returned to normal "....she might be able to explain it to me" The other two laughed.

"Maybe next time you can ask her about the whole holy symbol thing" Blaise said after a few moments "Why crosses work and Stars of David don't" Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"They don't?" She asked.

"Of course they do, but the standard Ministry course doesn't accept them at all, and says only crosses will work" Blaise grinned at her "I just thought Professor Umbridge might want a chance to explain why that's the case" Hermione grinned back at him.

"I will remember to bring it up" She replied "Just out of academic interest, of course"

"Of course" Harry and Blaise nodded in unison. They continued walking in silence then - just as they reached The Great Hall, Hermione turned to Blaise.

"So, Mr Zabini, have you decided what you'd like to do for your birthday yet?" She asked. Blaise smiled sheepishly.

"I had one idea, but after I talked it over with Teeny, I kind of scrapped it" He said, blushing slightly.

"I'm almost afraid to ask" Hermione looked at him curiously.

"Oh - it's nothing..... rude" He said quickly "Basically, I have always been fascinated with Pompeii, and I thought if The Room of Requirement could show us the actual event...." He trailed off, then shook his head "But then my beloved pointed out watching hundreds, maybe thousands of people die a bloody, horrible death is, perhaps, not the most fun way to spend a birthday" Harry and Hermione laughed "So - to sum up - no, I don't have any real idea"

"But something similar to GW's?" Harry asked after he stopped laughing "A fun day out with things to do and food to eat?"

"Oh yes" Blaise nodded, then looked at Hermione, who had come to a halt "Is it just me, or does she look like she's having an idea?"

"It's not just you" Harry said with a slight grin, then - with another glance at his sister added "But if I were you, I'd get ready to run"

"Why?"

"Because the last time I saw the expression, it was just before she cast a spell that turned our entire house pink"

"It was only three rooms, little brother" Hermione slapped him on the back of the head "Which, okay, was two more than I wanted" She shrugged "But this doesn't involve any spells - just an idea" She paused "Remember the game we played over Easter?" Harry frowned, then his eyes brightened.

"That could be fun" He smiled "Just the games right? Not the board part?" 

"Definitely not" She shook her head emphatically "But.... say ten rounds? Four teams of two?" She trailed off, looking thoughtful, then span round as Sally and Neville bounded up to them.

"Guess what? Sally asked, giving Blaise a quick kiss on the cheek.

"The last two cats caved and now they all prefer Whiskers?" Harry asked.

"Regan MacNeil wasn't possessed, she was just feeling a little cross?" Hermione asked.

"What are you two talking about?" Blaise asked.

"You actually expected a sensible answer?" Neville grinned. Sally rolled her eyes.

"Sorry" Hermione smiled apologetically "What did you want to tell us, dearest Bex?"

"Professor Sprout just came to see me - it seems that Dumbledore has changed the Quidditch schedule around" She looked at Harry "Has Katie spoken to you about it?"

"Not yet, no" Harry shook his head "But, to be fair, I haven't spoken to her today...." He trailed off as Katie stormed in to The Hall "....but I think that's going to change pretty soon" He turned as Katie walked up to them.

"Have you seen this?" She asked, waving a sheet of parchment at him.

"Bex was just about to explain" Harry looked over at Sally "Something about the schedule?"

"According to Professor Sprout, there is some concern about letting Farm Boy and Malfoy play against each other so early in the year, especially given what happened with Nissa at the end of the last tournament" Sally said calmly.

"And with Professor Umbridge apparently having it in for you as well, Professor Dumbldore thinks that putting off any potential confrontation would be better until the end of the year" Katie added, frowning.

"The upshot of all this is that the first game is Hufflepuff vs Slytherin" Sally continued "Then the Snakes will play Ravenclaw in the new year, and you at the end of the season" Hermione snorted in amusement.

"What's so funny?" Katie asked curiously.

"If Dumbledore is so worried about the match being a flash-point, then why make it the last match of the year? One that could potentially decide the result of the Cup?" Hermione shook her head "So is he lying? Or is he hopelessly deluded?"

"Can we take a vote?" Blaise smirked, making Hermione laugh.

"Well - either way, there isn't much we can do" Katie sighed, then looked at Harry "Are you ready to play your sister instead?"

"Playing someone who won't try to kill me?" Harry grinned "I think I can live with that" He turned and looked at Sally "How about you?" Sally shrugged.

"If the Great and Powerful Dumbledore thinks there won't be a problem between me and Draco, who am I to argue?" Both Hermione and Harry opened their mouths, but she raised her hand to stop them "As long as you look out for me, I'll be fine"

"Then you'll be fine" Hermione smiled.

xoxox

Later that evening, Hermione looked around The Room of Requirement, then pulled out her wand.

"Tonight....." She paused "Tonight we're going to cover shields" 

"I thought we did that last time?" Susan Bones called out "With the shield charm and reflecting charm?"

"We did...." Hermione trailed off, then raised her wand "STUPEFY!!"

"PROTEGO!!" Susan yelled, and the stunning spell crashed harmlessly against a flare of yellow light.

"....and since you have mastered those, then there are two more types of shield you should know about" She continued with a smile, then looked over at Harry and Sally "FB? Bex?" They both nodded, then walked to the front.

"How many of remember the first lesson with Professor Moody?" She asked when they were in place. Most of the group raised their hands "As you probably remember, me and my friends didn't see the end of the lesson, but from what I understand, Moody explained that the most dangerous things about the three unforgivables is that they can't be shielded against" 

"Yes" Hannah nodded "Aunty A said the same thing" 

"Well - while I don't want to slander a lunatic Death Eater with delusions of serving a fallen master and I DEFINITELY don't want to slander the Director of Magical Law Enforcement - there are actually two ways of shielding against them" She paused as Luna looked at her with an amused grin "Against the curses - not Death Eaters and Directors, obviously" There was a ripple of laughter through the room.

"However, both ways require you to think like a muggle, which is why the vast majority of mages will never consider them" She turned to Harry and Sally "Farm Boy - I want you to pretend to cast a killing curse at Bex. Bex, I want you to defend against it" Harry took a few steps back, then his wand and pointed it at Sally.

"Ready to die?" He asked with a smile. 

"Bring it on" She smiled back.

"BANG!" A ball of blue light shot out of his wand and flew towards Sally.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" A block of wood shot from behind her and intercepted the ball of light. 

"Darn" Harry snapped his fingers, then looked up at Hermione "She gets to live another day, boss" Hermione grinned.

"Using a simple spell that you all learned in your first year here, Bex protected herself from a killing curse" Hermione looked at the rest of the group.

"But that's not shielding....." Terry complained, but Hermione smiled.

"She prevented the curse from hitting her" She said simply "And she gets to live another day" She looked down at Terry "What else would you call what she did?" Terry stared at her, then shrugged.

"I was just expecting something more.... magical" He admitted, blushing slightly.

"Like I said, you have to sometimes think like a muggle to find a magical answer" Terry nodded, then Hermione continued "So - break in to pairs, and practice summoning spells while someone else throws a simple curse at you" She paused "Although if you could skip any area based curses, such as incendio and so on, I think our partner would take it as a kindness" There was another burst of laughter, then the group broke up. Hermione watched them for a few minutes, then walked over to where Neville and Ginny were working together.

"Laying on the muggle part a bit thick, weren't you?" Neville asked with a slight smile "I mean - these aren't supremacists or Death Eaters"

"I know" Hermione admitted "But the vast majority of purebloods have no clue about the muggle world and think that there is little or nothing of value in it" She gestured to the rest of the group "If a simple muggle idea, of putting something between you and a curse, ends up saving their life, then maybe they'll start to look at other parts of the muggle world"

"Waaaaaaah!" All three of them span round as Lavender flew backwards across the room.

"Room - cushion!" Ginny yelled. A moment later, Lavender landed on the floor and bounced slightly. She got to her feet and bounded back to where Parvati was standing, blushing slightly.

"I guess I need more practice" Lavender said with a grin, then she raised her wand "How about you?"

xoxox

Ron looked around the common room, and frowned. 

When he had left The Great Hall, he had seen Hermione, Ginny and Harry leaving as well, along with the rest of their little play group, so he had assumed that they weren't holding a meeting of The Study Group.

But they weren't in the common room either. And neither were Lavender or Parvati.

"Dean?" He called out "Have you seen Parvati?" 

"She went out for a walk with Lavender" Dean replied "Why?"

"Just curious" Ron leaned back in his seat, mind racing.

xoxox

"Well - now that you've all had some practice at blocking curses, it's time to move on to the second thing" Hermione addressed the group again "This is slightly more magical than the last one - it does involve shield charms, but also uses some muggle science" She paused, then grinned "Hands up who has seen the fat lady trying to break a glass by singing?" A few people raised their hands "Does anyone know how she does it?" Luna raised her hand, making Hermione smile "Anyone else?"

"Something about a frequency?" Marcus said hesitantly. Hermione grinned.

"Yes!" She nodded "Everything - from wood to gold - has what is called a natural frequency. And if you subject it to a strong enough signal at that frequency, it will shatter" She looked around "Most of the time, the frequency is so fast or slow that it is impossible to replicate it, which is why things don't spend their time spontaneously exploding, but The Fat Lady is trying to find the frequency that will shatter the glass and reproduce it"

"What does this have to do with shields?" Terry asked.

"All spells also have a natural frequency" Hermione continued as if he hadn't spoken "Including the protego and protego reflexus spells" She looked at Luna "If you could?"

"Protego!" A field of yellow light burst in to life in front of her.

"Now - with a little addition" Hermione rotated her wand in a circle, and suddenly the shield in front of Luna began to pulse "As you can see, the shield is vibrating at about two hundred pulses per second - it gets stronger and weaker as it does but it does it so fast that you'd never notice" She looked around "Mr Finch?" Blaise walked over and stood next to Luna.

"Protego!" A shield came to life in front of him and Hermione rotated her wand again, making the shield pulse.

"As you can see - the same spell tends to pulse at the same frequency, regardless of who is casting it" Hermione pointed at the two shields "So if we combine them....."

"It doesn't work" Padma called out, then blushed slightly "I mean - people have tried combining shields but they still don't protect against unforgivables"

"I know" Hermione nodded "But that's because they just want to re-enforce the shield to make it stronger - like adding extra layers of steel to a door" She turned to Blaise and Luna "If you would?" Blaise moved his wand to the right, then down slightly. The pulses fell in to sequence, and the shield became a block of solid yellow.

"And now" Hermione turned and pulled out her wand, then paused "Ready?"

"Ready" Luna and Blaise both nodded.

"STUPEFY!!" Hermione yelled flinging her arm forward. A beam of incredibly bright red light shot out of her wand and crashed in to the shield, where it vanished. 

"Wow!" Susan exclaimed. 

"You think that's good?" Hermione smirked "FB, Bex, Xy?" The three of them walked up beside her "On Zero?" They nodded "Three. Two One...."

"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"

The four beams of light splashed harmlessly against the shield, leaving Blaise and Luna looking completely unfazed.

"In the few tests we've done, we can combine six shields to make one long one that is incredibly strong" Hermione turned back to the group as Luna and Blaise dispelled their shields "Obviously we haven't got to the casting unforgivables part - partly because we don't want to be arrested, but also accidentally killing my brother would probably be a bad thing" She paused "Although it would make me primary heir...." Harry slapped her lightly on the back of the head "....but still - bad thing"

"How do you line the shields up?" Lavender asked.

"That's the problem" Luna admitted "We can produce our line of six in an instant, but that's because we've been practicing together for a while" She looked at Hermione "It is much more suited for a few people who worth together a lot, such as Aurors, than students and so on"

"On the whole, you should stick to summoning and levitation and transfiguration" Hermione nodded, then glanced at her watch "Okay - that's about it for tonight. And since the next two weekends are Quidditch weekends, there won't be a meeting next week" She looked around and everyone nodded "Last thing - if you want to try this over the next two weeks, please be careful - I don't want to see any of you in the hospital wing before our next meeting" She paused "Except for anyone playing against Gryffindor the week after next - you can get hurt if you want"

xoxox

"That went pretty well" Luna said as she and Ginny walked back from the meeting "But what's with Terry? He seemed......"

"Overly aggressive?" Ginny suggested "His family is more..... traditional, and the idea of mages using muggle techniques is somewhat confusing for him" 

"So we shouldn't be worried he's going to sell us out?" Luna looked at her questioningly.

"Not so much, no" Ginny shook her head "Partly because of the contract we made him sign, but mostly because I think he is gone of the good guys" She smiled "Do you think we should be worried about Saturday?" Luna slipped her hand into Ginny's.

"He was already mad at you, Nissa" She said softly "If it was Jamie or you, I'd say find a reserve, but aside from the odd thing with Mr F, I don't think Draco and Bex are arch enemies yet" Ginny nodded "Still - we should keep our eye on him, and make sure Bex is safe"

xoxox

"....and as the match approaches the hour mark, it is becoming ever more obvious that the outcome of the first game of the season will depend on the two seekers" Lee said in a tone of suppressed excitement "The two teams of chasers seem to be matching each other goal for goal, and surprisingly the number of fouls has been few....."

"I don't see that lasting long" Neville grinned as Hufflepuff scored another goal.

"I'm surprised it has lasted as long as it has" Hermione admitted "And maybe a little worried"

"Because Draco is not known as the model of restraint?" Neville asked, and Hermione nodded "I heard that his father came down pretty hard on him after his attack on Nissa - maybe he doesn't want that to happen again?"

"It's possible" She said, watching as Sally swooped down by the stands on the far side "But maybe it also means he is going to wait until there are no witnesses" Neville smiled.

"Do you always look on the bright side of things?" He said with a grin.

"Hey - that was me being optimistic" Hermione laughed "Want to hear the pessimistic view?" Neville stared at her for a moment.

"You know, I don't think I do" He said, shaking his head with a slight smile.

"And the Hufflepuff seeker seems to have seen something!" Lee's voice cut across their discussion, and they both turned to see Sally charging down the pitch, bent low over her broom. 

"Draco is way out of place" Ginny said from her seat behind them "If Bex has got it, he'll never catch up" Hermione turned to look at Draco, then bit her lip.

"I don't think that's his plan" She looked over to where Draco was flying up to Goyle "I mean - look at him. He's not even going for it"

"You think...."

"HUFFLEPUFF CATCH THE SNITCH!" Lee yelled triumphantly "Hufflepuff takes the match with....." He trailed off as he realised there was a chorus of boos rippling round the stands "..... but now there's some kind of confrontation going on, down on the pitch"

xoxox

"Bex! Don't!" Hermione's voice was quiet but commanding, making Sally glance at her.

"Hiding behind her skirts?" Malfoy smirked and Sally turned back "Figures that someone like you would pick a muggle as a mother figure" 

"Shut up, Malfoy" She snapped.

"Of course, if you hadn't disowned your own mother, maybe you'd have been brought up correctly and wouldn't be getting ideas above your station" Malfoy continued.

"Shut it, Draco!" Harry yelled, taking a step forward.

"Where is your mother now?" Draco asked "Because the last I heard, she was turning tricks down Knockturn Alley - a five knut docksie....."

WHAM! 

Draco fell backwards, clutching his mouth, while Sally shook her hand.

"Ow!" She looked at Hermione "That hurt!"

"You shouldn't hit someone with a closed fist" Hermione replied simply "Not even Draco" She looked past Sally and Draco and sighed "Time to pay the piper" Sally looked round to see Professors Sprout, Snape and McGonagall storming towards them.

"Miss Perks - report to my office now" Sprout said severely. 

"I think not" Professor Umbridge walked across the grounds towards the group.

"Excuse me?" Sprout turned to face the High Inquisitor "Miss Perks is a member of my House, Professor, and I will see to her punishment"

"That is as maybe, Professor, but my position as High Inquisitor gives me the final say in all disciplinary matters" She turned to Miss Perks "I think that since she is incapable of controlling her temper, it would be best not to let her on the quidditch pitch again - at least until she is all grown up" She turned to McGonagall "She is forbidden from playing quidditch for her House ever again - please make a note of it" McGonagall stared at her for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.

"Don't you think that is a bit harsh, Professor?" Sprout asked "She was baited in to it by Mr Malfoy"

"So you believe that physical violence is an appropriate response for some mild teasing?" Umbridge raised a single eyebrow curiously "If this is the lesson you are teaching the children, perhaps I should review more than your disciplinary decisions"

"He threw a bat at Sophie's head, Professor" Sally yelled "Where does that lie on your views on physical violence?"

"I am sure it was merely an accident, wasn't it Mr Malfoy?" Umbridge turned to face him. Malfoy smiled apologetically.

"I was showing Greg a new way to use the bat, and it slipped out of my hand" He looked across to where Madam Pomfrey was tending to one of the Hufflepuff beaters "I was about to apologise, but then Miss perks came out of no where and attacked me" Umbridge smiled, then turned back to Sprout and Sally.

"Mr Malfoy made a simple mistake, Miss Perks - something you probably could have ascertained if you had asked him" She smiled again "The punishment stands, Miss Perks - you are forbidden from playing quidditch until you leave school, at which point your behaviour will be reassessed" 

"Professor! Isn't that a bit harsh?" Sprout said loudly.

"I think not - given the current political climate, I believe it is incumbent on both The Ministry and Hogwarts to show that everyone is treated equally" She glanced at Sally "No matter what their name is" She turned back to Sprout, then turned on her heel and walked away. Hermione looked at Sally for a moment, then turned to McGonagall.

"Professor - I'd like to make an appointment to talk to the Headmaster" She said quickly. McGonagall looked at her, then sighed.

"I can arrange that, Miss Potter-Granger, but I am afraid you would be wasting your time" She replied "In the current political climate, Professor Dumbledore is unlikely to go against The Ministry over such a trivial matter"

"TRIVIAL?" Hermione yelled, then she took a deep breath "Umbridge is using her position as a teacher to punish people who have stood up to The Minister, and you are doing nothing to stop her" She stared at McGonagall for a moment longer "I hope you're proud of yourself" Before McGonagall could reply, Hermione turned and walked away. A second later, the others followed her, leaving McGonagall staring after them.

xoxox

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, and sighed.

"Miss Potter-Granger is not wrong, Minerva" He said quietly "While I don't condone her actions, throwing a single punch doesn't usually mandate such a punishment" He shook his head "Together, Miss Potter-Granger and Miss Black are a powerful political force and I fear that Minister Scimgeour is using Professor Umbridge as a weapon to blunt their power"

"So you are going to stand up to her? You are going to overturn the ban?" McGonagall stared at him in surprise.

"I wish it were that simple" He shook his head again "The High Inquisitor has absolute power, and even I answer to her over disciplinary matters" He sighed "Perhaps if Miss Black hadn't fought me so hard over control of her House, I might have been in position to do something" He looked up at McGonagall "I am afraid you will have to tell Miss Potter-Granger that I can't meet with her, and that I can't overturn Miss Perks' punishment" 

"Of course, Albus - I will do it at once" She stood up "Would you like to give her any other message?"

"It is entirely up to her, but I would strongly advise her not to pursue this outside of the school. She has already made enough enemies, she doesn't need any more" 

"I will endeavour to impress that upon her, Albus"

xoxox

"I'm afraid there is nothing he can do" McGonagall said calmly "The Headmaster also asked me to impress upon you that you shouldn't try to take this any further, as he believes any attempt to do so would not only result in failure, but also make you more enemies" Hermione stared back.

"I understand Professor" She nodded "I will let Bex know" McGonagall nodded, then turned and walked out of the common room. Hermione leaned back in her seat, then looked across at Harry "Are you still going to do it?" 

"She's my friend" He said simply "I am pretty sure Nissa will feel the same way" Hermione smiled.

"I really am a bad influence, aren't I?" Harry grinned.

"The worst" He stood up and turned, looking around the common room. A moment later, he caught sight of Katie, and walked over to where she, Fred and Angelina were sitting "Katie, can I have a word?"

xoxox

"Marcus? Can I have a word?" Ginny sat down next to the Ravenclaw Captain.

xoxox

"You two did that for me?" Sally asked the next morning. Harry and Ginny both nodded "Wow - that's.... that's the nicest thing...." She trailed off "Well - okay, one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me" 

"We're your friends" Ginny smiled "If you'd deserved it, it might be different, but you are being punished purely and simply because you are friends with us and that's something we can't abide"

"Katie said she would consider her options" Harry continued "Hopefully she can find a reserve player - I'd hate to think Draco is going to take the cup by default"

"Marcus said the same thing, but since I was already Cho's reserve...." Ginny trailed off "I guess we shall see" She shrugged "Bright side? Not having practice and games will free up more time to learn how to kill Pennywise" Neville laughed, making Ginny stare at him curiously "I amuse you, Cel?"

"Sorry love - just comparing you and your sister" He looked up as Hermione and Luna walked in.

"Oh yes?" Ginny raised his eyebrows, but before Neville could respond, there was a stir as Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall swept in to The Hall and up the center aisle. When they reached the front, they turned and Dumbledore raised his hand.

"If I might have your attention?" He said as The Hall fell silent "Last night, I received notification from the Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams that they are withdrawing from The Quidditch cup" There was an explosion of shouts from around the room, but they died out as he raised his hand again "Following the events of the match yesterday, the other two seekers resigned their positions, and all three Captains said that without a seeker, their team would unable to compete" He paused, then looked over at the Slytherin table. 

"Therefore I have great pleasure in awarding this year's Quidditch Cup to Slytherin - congratulations" As the Slytherin table burst in to cheers, Hermione turned back to look at her friends, smiling widely.

"So - are you proud of yourselves?" Harry and Ginny exchanged glances, then looked back at her.

"Yup" They said in unison.


	15. Year 5 - In Her Name

"So - as we reach the end of the first half of the contest, the scores are evenly balanced" Eric's voice rang out through the large open field the Room of Requirement had become.

"Bowser and Toadette, also known as Mr Finch and The Bexster, have 48 points, a three point lead over Waluigi and Shy Guy - The Boy Who Lived and my most precious daughter" He paused as Luna, dressed in a red cloak and a white mask, waved back "In third place, with a score of 35 are our very own magical royal couple, Princess Peach and her consort Mario" Hermione, in a poufy pink dress, gave a regal bow while Viktor stood behind her, grinning widely "And in last place, but coming on strong, are Daisey and Toad, performed by Nissa and Xyon" Ginny and Neville, stood hand in hand, waved from the corner.

"We're going to take a break now - have some lunch - and we'll be back with the second half of the contest later on, and trust me - it's going to be a doozy" The microphone clicked off, and Eric walked down from the commentary booth to join the rest of the party.

"Min - I have to ask - where did you come with this?" He said as he sat down at a table laden with food.

"The food? That was Dobby and some of the other elves" Hermione grinned back at him, making him role his eyes.

"You know what I meant, young lady" He said with a smile "Dodging penguins, hitting buttons with large inflatable mallets? And the game at the end - with the tanks - that was just.... strange"

"It's based on a video game we played over Easter" Hermione explained "You take the part of one of these characters, then you move round a game board....." She paused "Do wizards have board games?"

"The Weasley twins tried to invent a game of Cluedo based on Hogwarts" Luna replied "Snape gets murdered, and you have to figure out who did it" She paused, then smiled "But every game ended the same - everyone did it" Hermione laughed.

"Anyway - you move around a board and, after everyone has taken a turn, you play one of these games" She waved her hand towards the tanks "I admit I have improvised a bit with some of them, because the original games are difficult to translate to real life - so to speak - but mostly they're based on the games" She grinned "Why? You think it's too much?"

"Oh - no, not at all" Eric laughed "I am just wondering if we could make this a bigger thing - I am pretty sure there are other people out there who are just as crazy as you who would love it!" Hermione burst in to laughter.

"I think we'd have to talk to the people who made the game, but maybe - once we're done with.... well - after the war, we might be able to sort something out" She nodded, still grinning. 

xoxox

"You failed me, Mr Malfoy" Bob Gray stared down at Draco, looking disappointed.

"I did what you asked" Draco said sulkily "I made sure she got in trouble with The Ministry and Umbridge"

"Yes, but you were supposed to alienate her from her friends, Mr Malfoy" The older man said in the same dispassionate tone "You were supposed to isolate her, and yet now, because of what you did, their bond is stronger than ever" He paused, then leaned in closely "And they are more popular in the school than ever"

"How was I supposed to know Potter and Weasley would do that?" Draco snapped, then he bit his lip as Gray's eyes flared "Sorry. But how was I to know they would resign? And the other teams following their lead? No one could have predicted that" Gray stared at him, then shook his head.

"I need their bond broken, Mr Malfoy - the time is coming, and if the bond is not broken, it will not go well for me" He seemed to loom up over Draco "And if it doesn't go well for me, Mr Malfoy, you can be damn sure it won't go well for you"

"I understand" Draco nodded emphatically "And I will....."

"No" The word came out so quickly and so sharply that Draco blinked in shock.

"Sorry?"

"You will do nothing, Mr Malfoy" The old man shook his head "You have failed me, and I am not inclined to give second chances" He glared down at Draco "You will watch and wait, and when I feel you have redeemed yourself enough to try again, I will give you another opportunity" He paused, his face darkening "I suggest you do not mess it up" He turned and stalked away, leaving Draco staring after him, a look of fear forming on his face.

xoxox

"And so, after a truly glorious meal, we return to the games" Eric said as he retook the commentary platform "First up we have Toad, Toadette, Princess Peach and Waluigi in a...." He glanced down at the parchment in front of him, then looked up "In a dolphin race? Really?"

"Really!" Hermione called out, grinning. She turned and clicked her fingers, and a large stretch of water appeared in front of her, with four dolphins swimming back and forth "Xy, Bex, Baby Bro - pick your dolphin" They stared at her for a moment, then shrugged and walked over. 

"The race is to the far end of the water and back" Hermione continued "But obviously it's not going to be that simple"

"It never is" Harry grinned.

"Each dolphin has a stamina and air gauge on it" She said pointing to the nearest of the animals "The faster you go, the more the stamina gauge runs out. If it empties, you will slow to a crawl until it builds up again" 

"And the air gauge?"

"Each one has a bubble around it, and if you go underwater, you will loose less stamina at the same speed, but you will lose air. If your air runs out, you'll be forced back to the surface and held in place for three seconds" She grinned "Everyone ready?" The other three got on to the backs of the dolphins, and Hermione climbed on to the fourth one, then turned round.

"Master of Ceremonies, if you would?" Eric smiled.

"On your marks! Get set! GO!!!"

xoxox

"Professor Umbridge, may I have a word?" Umbridge tilted her head to one side at the sight of Ron stood in the door to her office.

"My office hours are...." She started, but Ron stepped inside.

"I'm not having an academic problems, Professor" He said quickly "You asked us to report any suspicious behaviour?" Umbridge smiled.

"Come in, Mr Weasley" She gestured to the seat in front of her desk "And tell me more"

xoxox

"And Princess Peach wins, with Toadette in a close second!" Eric grinned as everyone burst in to applause "Waluigi comes in third, with Toad a valiant fourth place!" There was a little more applause "There'll be a two minute break while we set up for the next event, so everyone can have a bit of a rest" There was a cheer from everyone present.

"That was really impressive" Neville congratulated Hermione. She blushed, but nodded.

"Thank you" She grinned "But honestly? I just got lucky - if you'd held out two seconds longer, you'd have been underwater at the turn and got ahead of me" Neville grinned.

"I'm not that much of a risk taker" He admitted "I was worried I'd lose the oxygen completely and get stuck" 

"Sometimes you gotta risk it all to get something back" She shrugged "And hey - remember what happened in the penguin swarm? I took a risk then and got blasted off the iceberg" She saw Neville smirk, then cover his mouth.

"Sorry - but Peach's exclamation of surprise is utterly adorable" Hermione laughed.

"I know" She looked around, then turned back to him "If you'll excuse me for a second, I have to go set up the next game"

"No worries - I'm taking part in it too" He held out his arm, and she slipped hers through it "Shall we?"

xoxox

Umbridge leaned back in her chair, gazing thoughtfully at Ron.

"You believe that, despite my prohibition, Miss Potter-Granger is still running her study group?" She asked after a few moments.

"Yes, Professor" He nodded eagerly "The students who used to attend the group are now missing from the common room on regular occasions"

"But you don't know where they are?" She stared at him intently "They could just be going out for a walk?"

"Well.... yeah" Ron flumped back "I suppose - but Granger is missing and the rest of the losers she hangs around with" Umbridge smiled.

"I admit that is more suspicious, but you have to realise you are talking about seven children who have powerful parents" She said quietly "If I am to go after them, and accuse them of breaking the law, I will need more evidence than your suppositions" 

"Yes, Professor" He leaned forward again, smiling "I can keep an eye on them and.... and I think there is someone else who'd be willing to help me" 

"Who would that be?" She asked, picking up a quill.

"Zach Smith, in Hufflepuff" Ron said instantly "He doesn't like any of them either, and if they are doing something wrong, I know he'd want to stop them"

"I will take that under advisement, Mr Weasley" She made a few notes "If that is all?"

"If they are doing something wrong, and we help you stop them....."

"I will ensure that The Minister and Professor Dumbledore are made aware of your contribution, Mr Weasley" He grinned widely.

"Thank you, Professor" He turned and walked out of the room. Umbridge glanced at the pad on her desk, then smiled.

xoxox

"And so we come to the last round" Eric said with a slight sigh "I will go through the rules in a moment, but before we bring this exciting contest to a dramatic close, I'd like to first thank our Snidge and her cohorts Farm Boy and Nissa for this wonderful inventive contest and - as always - the Hogwarts' House Elves for the wonderful feast we had" There was a round of applause, and he couldn't help grinning as Hermione, Harry and Ginny blushed.

"So - we come on to the last round, and trust me- you're going to enjoy it" He glanced at Hermione, who smirked "The final game is called Star Search, and the rules are simple" He waved his hand, and a large playing field appeared, with a fence surrounding it.

"All eight players will enter the arena, and you will have three minutes to catch as many falling stars as possible" He clicked his fingers and a number of star shaped inflatables fell from the sky.

"You pick one up, and carry it to your bucket and put it in" He paused "However, there is a twist" He clicked his fingers again, and a red star fell from the sky.

"Red stars are not worth any points, but if you throw them at one of the other players, they will be stunned for three seconds, giving you more time to collect silver stars" He smiled "However, it is not going to be as easy as you think, because......" He clicked his fingers for a third time, and everyone's avatar changed.

"Because until the game ends, you won't know who is who" He finished "You can't talk to each other, unless it is an emergency, so when, or should I say if, you throw a red star, you might be hitting an opponent or you might be hitting the other person on your team" He grinned "If you'd all enter the playing field, the game will begin in just a moment" 

xoxox

"Thank you for coming" Zaglog looked around the table at the six goblins sat with him "Over the past six months, I have been involved in arranging a major new business venture that will involve Gringotts heavily. My manager...." He nodded to Ragnok, who inclined his head politely "....has approved all of this, however the public announcement of this new venture is going to be in ten days time and so I have been asked to brief you - the heads of the other five ancient realms - about the details of this new venture" He looked at the set of papers in front of him, then looked up.

"I have been the estate manager for The House of Potter, more recently Potter-Granger, ever since 1981, when the then Head of House was murdered. For the first ten years or so, it languished under the half-hearted control of Albus Dumbledore and Amos Diggory, but then - when the Potter heir returned to our world, he showed that he truly is his mother's son and brought The Potter estate back to its full glory" He smiled.

"As you are probably aware, The Potter-Granger heirs, along with their parents, are very unusual for wizards. They treat us with the same respect as they treat each other, and are more than willing to listen to any of our suggestions, even those that would benefit us more than them" He smiled "Even going so far as to appoint me their proxy in The Wizengamot" He resisted the urge to grin at the looks of surprise on the faces of some of the managers.

"In addition, they have made friends with a number of other influential heirs and their attitude towards us is starting to spread amongst these other heirs" 

"Other heirs?" Tramax asked.

"The heirs to the Houses of Longbottom and Zabini" Zaglog explained "And this past summer, Harry Potter-Granger willingly gave up the influence and power that would have come with his inheritance of The House of Black. Instead he handed it over to someone he believed would be able to make more use of it than he would" He looked at them "Someone he thought would make the world a better place, rather than someone who would serve his purposes" He smiled "And not just the wizarding world, but the whole of the magical world and the muggle world as well"

"Impressive" Gragnalk, the manager of the Egypt branch, exclaimed.

"The most impressive thing about it is that this was not a hard decision for him - he never even considered not doing it" Zaglog smiled "It is an attitude that they all share - they want to make the world a better place for everyone, and are willing to do what is necessary to achieve that goal" There were nods of appreciation from around the table "Which is where this new business venture comes in" He picked up six sets of parchments, and passed them to Ragnok, who took one and passed the rest on.

"What you have is the proposal for the creation of a new company named EBH. A company that is going to revolutionise our world"

xoxox

"FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! TIME'S UP!" The stars stopped falling in to the arena, and then there was a pale flash of light, and all eight avatars vanished, leaving the eight students staring at each other with varying degrees of amusement.

"Oh crap" Harry dropped his head in to his hands while Luna grinned at him. 

"You only hit me four times, sweetie" She leaned over and kissed his cheek "Compared to what Vik did to Snidge, it's practically friendly" They both looked over to where Viktor was sat in front of Hermione, looking slightly abashed. 

"How many?" Harry asked. 

"Eleven" Luna said with a slight smile "Apparently he didn't realise she'd become Bowser, and thought the giant spiky turtle was an easy target" 

"So - anyone know who's won yet?" Sally asked, looking around.

"I think Daddy is just counting up the final scores" Luna replied, looking over to where her father was staring intently at the podium.

"Before he does, I just wanna say I have had a brilliant afternoon" Blaise bounded over to Hermione and pulled her in to a hug, kissing her cheek "Thank you - a thousands times thank you"

"You are most welcome" She returned his hug "But...."

"I know" He whispered, then turned and bounded over to Ginny, pulled her in to a hug, then turned to Harry.

"Hug me and die, Flame Boy" Harry said with a grin. Blaise stared at him, then laughed.

"Thank you - both of you" He said "I know you two, and Snidge, put a lot of work in to this"

"We live to serve" Harry and Ginny replied in unison, then Ginny continued "Plus it's not like the rest of us didn't have fun either" She glanced at Neville "Well - most of the rest of us"

"Hey - I had fun" He smiled sheepishly "Even if being a re-incarnation of the last king of Atlantis doesn't exactly translate to being a miniature toadstool animagus" Ginny leaned her head against his shoulder "Seriously - lots of fun!" Blaise smiled, then they all turned as Eric turned his microphone back on.

"Well - I have totted up the final results, so here we go" He clicked his fingers, and a quiet drumroll started.

"In last place, with a combined score of fifty nine points, the team of Xyon and Nissa!" There was a burst of applause as Ginny and Neville both took a bow.

"In third place, with a combined score of seventy three, Viktor and Snidge!" Another burst of applause. Harry looked across at Blaise and Sally, then turned to Luna.

"What do you think?" He asked. She followed his gaze, then smiled.

"They won six out of ten rounds, and came second in all but two" She kissed him on the cheek "Much as I'd like to dream....."

"In second place, with a combined score of eighty points, we have Farm Boy and The Good Witch of The North!" There was a third burst of applause as they took a bow, then everyone turned to where Blaise and Sally were stood, both wearing enormous grins on their faces.

"So now let me present our winners for today - with a combined score of ninety eight points - the king and queen of our party, Miss Newt and the birthday boy himself, Mr Finch" Everyone started applauding loudly as Sally and Blaise walked forward. Hermione clicked her fingers and a pair of thrones appeared in front of the podium. Blaise looked at her for a moment, then grinned. He took Sally's hand, and together they sat down in the two thrones to continuing applause.

"Thank you - all of you" Blaise said as the applause died down "I have had a wonderful afternoon - better than any I can remember" He looked over to where his parents were smiling at him "And that's pretty much all I have to say" The applause started up again, and he leaned back in the throne, feeling perfectly content and happy.

xoxox

"Weasley?" Zach blinked in surprise as Ron sat down next to him in the library "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Perks and her friends" Zach's expression darkened, but Ron held up his hands "Don't worry - I am not going to try to talk you in to being friends with them" 

"Not even your sister?" Zach quirked an eyebrow at him, making Ron frown.

"I want nothing to do with that little slut" He snapped back "Giving herself to....." He shook his head "Never mind" He looked up at Zach again "Have you noticed anything..... strange over the last few weeks?"

"Strange?" Zach frowned "What do you mean?"

"I've noticed that a few Gryffindors seem to be missing from the common room on regular occasions" Ron explained "Not all of them, and not all the time. But this last week, Parvati and Lavender were gone for a good part of the evening, and the next night, Fred and George vanished"

"Ernie, Hannah and Susan" Zach nodded in understanding "Plus some of the lower and upper years" He paused "You think this is connected to Granger?"

"I think she is carrying on The Study group, despite what Professor Umbridge and The Ministry have decreed" Ron said quietly, looking around "I have talked to Umbridge, and she's asked us to keep an eye out about it" 

"Professor Umbridge wants us to spy on our housemates?" Zach looked at him thoughtfully.

"Only to find out whether Granger and that bunch of losers are breaking the rules" Ron nodded "She doesn't care about the other students - she just wants to bring down Granger and, hopefully, her family" Zach looked at him a moment longer, then nodded.

"Okay - I'll start keeping a record - see if there is a definite pattern" He replied. Ron grinned.

"We'll get them - we'll get what we need, then we'll get them" 

Unseen by either of them, a figure dressed in a silver clown suit slipped out of the stands behind them, and vanished in to the shadows.

xoxox

"Enjoy the rest of your birthday, my darling" Lusysia kissed Blaise on the cheek.

"I will" Blaise replied, glancing at Sally. His mother caught the look, then grinned.

"But not too much - I'm far too young to be a grandmother" She said with a grin, then laughed as both Blaise and Sally blushed bright red "Oh my son, you are too easy a mark sometimes" 

"Yes, mother" Blaise rolled his eyes, then turned to Sally "Shall we?"

"We shall" She nodded, then smirked "After all - the contraception charm will wear off in an hour" Before anyone could respond, she and Blaise walked through a door that appeared in front of them. 

"That girl....." Angelo shook his head, while his wife merely laughed and turned to Jennifer.

"We will see you in a week? To prepare for the announcement?" She asked, and Jennifer nodded.

"Daniel has offered the use of his house, since it is the most central. By now, Zaglog should have told the six Elder Goblins about what we are doing, so - assuming they have no major problems, we are good to go for ten days from now"

"And if they do?" Augusta asked "Will it alter our plans any?"

"It will screw up the main reason for doing it" Jennifer admitted "But honestly? No - we'll still be able to go ahead" She paused "But if I might be honest? I don't see them disagreeing. This will advance the cause of Goblins rights, and will give them a much bigger stake in the wizarding world" She smiled "Either way, I am going to make the announcement in ten days time, even if that means losing some of your support" Augusta smiled back at her.

"I wouldn't dream of pulling out" She said simply "This is going to be the biggest thing to happen in a generation, and while the financial side alone makes it worthwhile, the chance to be one of the founders of a new revolution is not something I would ever pass up" Jennifer laughed.

"I think you are maybe hyping it up a little, but never let it be said I wasn't an optimist" She looked over to where her husband and Eric were talking "Are you alright to get home? Sid and I will be leaving in a few minutes...."

"I'll be fine - I can return to Daniel's, and go home from there" She smiled "The White Room..... do you know who first created it?"

"No" Jennifer shook her head "According to Min, books as far back as five hundred years refer to it being there" She looked around "Do you think any of The Founders ever lived there?" 

"You think Grimmauld Place has been around that long?" Augusta asked in surprise.

"Why not?" Jennifer mused "It would explain a lot - maybe this isn't so much a.... a holodeck as part of an advance transport system" 

"Holodeck?" 

"A place that's capable of generating virtual realities that feel real" Eric said, walking over with Sidney "But if this is a transport system, why only make two points?" 

"Maybe they were making more, but The Clown to go them" Sidney suggested "From what I remember, Gryffindor and Slytherin had a massive falling out and one killed the other - that would probably put an end to any research" 

"True" Augusta nodded "Anyway - I shall take my leave of you, if you don't mind?" 

"See you next week" Augusta nodded at Jennifer's words, then turned and walked through another door. 

"The stories are all set to go, and the news conference is all arranged" Eric said to Jennifer and Sidney "Every newspaper, magazine and journal will be there, along with two reporters from The WWN" He paused "It's also attracted the attention of The Ministry and The Wizengamot, so you can expect someone from each of those illustrious institutions to be present" 

"Pretty much what we expected" Sidney nodded.

"Would you like to go through some sample questions?" Eric asked "Even though I don't agree with their stance, I am fairly sure I know what Rita will ask, and I have a fair idea what the various power blocks will think of it" 

"Can we do that with everyone else?" Jennifer asked, then smiled "It's not that I don't think you know everything we need to know, but the more opinions we have on this, the better prepared will be" 

"Not a problem" Eric grinned, then looked around "Your children are amazing, you know"

"We actually do know that" Sidney and Jennifer replied in unison, making Eric laugh. 

xoxox

Ten days later, Jennifer looked at the adults assembled in front of her, then took a deep breath.

"Last chance to back out" She said, then turned and pulled the door open, walking out in to the main hall at Gringotts. As Sidney, Augusta, Daniel, Lusysia and Eric took their seats behind her, she walked up to the podium directly in front of the waiting reporters. 

She looked around, noting that Scrimgeour, Marchbanks and - to her slight surprise - Dumbledore were stood in a group near the back, then she turned as Zaglog and Ragnok walked out of another side door. She gave a slight bow, which they returned, then they joined the five adults sat behind her. Zaglog smiled, then nodded to the right. Jennifer followed his gaze, then a wide smile broke across her face as she saw Claire and Edward Brown stood by the door the two Goblins had just come through.

With a final look around the room, she triggered the amplification crystal in the podium and started to talk.

"Thank you all for coming today. I will try to make this brief, as I know you all have deadlines to make" She glanced down at the parchment, even though she knew its contents off by heart "Tomorrow morning, the Houses of Potter-Granger, Black, Longbottom, Lovegood and Zabini, in partnership with Gringotts bank, will unite their associated businesses, foundations and charities under a single banner" There was a wave of gasps and exclamations, making her smile slightly.

"Our new company, which will trade under the name Emily Brown Holdings, will have two divisions. The first will manage the collective business interests of our various Houses in partnership with Gringotts. These include Madame Zabini's potions interests, The Black Trust and one or two others" She paused "And while it will include The Quibbler, the board of EB Holdings will all sign binding contracts to give up any editorial control so that there can be no accusations of conflict of interest" She paused to allow the various reporters to finish scribbling notes, then continued.

"The second division will be in charge of managing the various charitable foundations that will plan to set up as well as the ones that already exist, including our scholarship program and The Black Foundation" She glanced over at Lusysia, who nodded.

"In addition, we are creating a new trust" She said with a smile "The Lily Potter Memorial Fund. This will provide resources and assistance to one of the most severely disadvantaged groups in the magical world, and will be administered by Lusysia Zabini and Daniel Perks-Black" Daniel and Lusysia nodded politely.

"There will be further announcements over the next few weeks" Jennifer continued "Including details about the expansion of the scholarship programs to include the ability to study abroad at other schools....." She stopped at the quiet exclamations of surprise that greeted this announcement "....but now I will take a few questions" She looked around, then resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the first hand raised.

"Yes, Miss Skeeter?"


	16. Year 5 - Moves & Counter Moves

"Minister - you can't allow this to happen!" Scrimgeour stared calmly at Lucius Malfoy as the younger man stormed back and forth in front of him.

"What would you have me do, Lucius?" He asked in a quiet tone "It has long been held tradition that The Ministry does not interfere with commercial businesses" He looked up at Lucius with amusement "A fact that you, yourself, have benefited from I believe?" Lucius stared back at him defiantly.

"The Ministry does not interfere with legitimate businesses, Minister" He replied "I would hardly call what this gaggle of halfwits is doing legitimate" He shook his head "They are providing aid and support to the darkest of dark creatures" He waved the parchment in his hand around "And my associates tell me that their plans to expand the scholarship program will undermine the traditions of our society and lead to the destruction of everything we hold dear" Scrimgeour sighed.

"While I admit the idea of providing wolfsbane to the werewolves of Britain at cost price is not something I am entirely comfortable with, there is not a great deal I can do to stop them" He said in a resigned tone "Even though it will doubtless annoy a number of the potion shops and apothecaries already in business"

"Mister Blake has already made representations to me" Lucius nodded "The sale of wolfsbane is a large part of his monthly profit, and now he believes that this new consortium will drive him out of business" 

"But what can I do about it?" Scrimgeour replied "There are no laws to prevent companies from deliberately making a loss - it would be up to the shareholders to do something about it and it is quite clear that each and every one of them supports this venture" He paused "In regard to the other situation - the expanded scholarship funds - I believe there is something we can do about that" Lucius looked at him in surprise.

"How?" He demanded.

"I have talked to a few advisors, and although we can not prevent them from handing out the money to whomever they chose, we can prevent them studying abroad while they are enrolled at Hogwarts, and - with Dumbledore's assistance - we can prevent the school from giving any assistance to the Grangers and their friends" Lucius smiled wryly.

"And you believe you can get this assistance?" He asked with an amused tone. Scrimgeour smiled back.

"I believe I can find a way of convincing him" There was a knock at the door, and his secretary entered.

"Minister - your next appointment is here"

"Thank you" Scrimgeour nodded "Lucius, I will keep you informed of my progress" He paused "And I realise it goes without saying, but I would prefer it if you leave this problem to me, and not attempt to deal with it in your own inimitable manner" 

"I am, as always, your humble servant" Lucius nodded, then turned and walked out of the office. Scrimgeour sighed, then looked up as another man walked in.

"Ah - Mr Gray. Thank you for coming"

"I am, as always, at your disposal, Minister"

xoxox

"Under the decree issued this morning, The Quibbler is now no longer permitted in Hogwarts" Umbridge addressed the assembled students before the evening meal at Hogwarts "Anyone found with a copy will be disciplined, and repeat offenders will be expelled and subject to further punishment" She looked around the room, then focused on the group sat at the end of the Hufflepuff table.

"The Minister and I are both committed in our duty to protect your young, innocent minds from outside forces that would corrupt and undermine our world" She turned, walked back to her place behind the table and sat down. Dumbledore looked at her for a moment, then stood up.

"The Hogsmeade visits will go ahead this weekend as planned. The Ministry will be providing an auror force as security, and students will be required to stay in the main village area" He paused "I would also like to remind you that, since this is a school activity, you are bound by the same rules in Hogsmeade as you are here"

xoxox

"So not only can I not read the articles I write at school, I can't even read them when I am outside school?" Luna looked at her friends "Do you ever get the feeling we might have annoyed someone?" Hermione smiled.

"A wise man once told me that if they're shooting at you, you know you're doing something right" She said, then glanced around "The Ministry are pretty much shooting themselves in the foot over this. The fact they are trying to suppress it will make people wonder why, and they will go out and buy it" 

"Really?" Luna asked.

"Unless The Ministry ban it in the real world as well" Hermione glanced up The Hall towards Umbridge "And unless they start searching students' mail, parents can send them to their children" She shrugged "What worries me more is what else they are going to do"

"You think they'll try to stop Mum and Dad?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"Of course they will" Neville said before Hermione could reply "For all the Houses talk about political influence and political clout, there is something that is even more powerful and useful" 

"Money" Blaise supplied.

"Pretty much" Neville acknowledged "And EBH has more money than anyone else" He looked at Hermione "From a certain point of view, your parents, as the Heads of EBH, are now the single most powerful people in the country" Blaise and Sally nodded in agreement "Far more so than The Minister and Dumbledore" 

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Pretty much" Neville smiled "And the idea of two muggles - not muggle born mages, but actual muggles being that powerful is something that terrifies most of the purebloods"

"But not you?" Sally asked with a grin.

"Given a choice between Dumbledore, Scrimgeour, Marchbanks and Malfoy and Jennifer and Sidney?" He laughed "Do you even need to ask?"

"So what can Scrimgeour do?" Hermione leaned forward "Should I let them know they should be ready to run?"

"Oh - no" Neville shook his head emphatically "It won't be anything so obvious as that" He glanced up The Hall to where Dumbledore was conferring with McGonagall "They'll come at you sideways - going after one specific thing in an attempt to undermine the rest of what you are trying to do" Hermione looked up The Hall as well, then turned back.

"He's going to make up with Dumbledore?" She looked at him sceptically "Really?"

"It's what I'd do" Neville said "Well - if I was an evil manipulative bastard hell bent on world domination" Hermione raised her eyebrows in amusement "Which I'm not"

"That's probably good, since we already have two of those to fight" Hermione laughed "Okay - we've got Lucy's army on Wednesday and Thursday, and hopefully we've got something on Sunday for Nissa's big day" Ginny smiled.

"In the meantime, we keep doing what we do" Hermione continued "Mum and Dad can take care of the politics....." She trailed off.

"Snidge?"

"What do you think that's about?" She nodded up the table to where Umbridge was talking to Zach. As they watched, the Defence Professor smiled, nodded, then turned and walked down The Hall. She passed them without any acknowledgement then vanished out in to The Entrance Hall. Sally turned back to see Zach smiling, and slipping a note in to his robes.

"That can't be good"

xoxox

"Ron" Zach called out as he walked along the corridor "RON!" Ron turned, then rolled his eyes.

"Could you be a bit less obvious?" He hissed "We're supposed to be working for Umbridge in secret" He looked around "How secret can it be if you are yelling my name down the corridor?" Zach grinned.

"You are far too paranoid, Weasley" He said, laughing "No one knows what we're doing, and even if they did, no one would care" He glanced back at The Hall "After The Prophet and The WWN get through with them, the entire school will thank us for what we're doing" He paused "We'll be the heroes who saved the wizarding world from its greatest threat" Ron's face lit up.

"Heroes...." He said with a happy sigh, then he shook his head, clearing it "What did Professor Umbridge want?"

"She's arranged a meeting with The Headmaster and Professor McGonagall to confront them with what we've found" Zach said as they started walking again "She's going to talk to them this evening"

"She thinks Dumbledore will let her expel Potter and the others?" Ron shook his head "Dumbledore has been supporting Potter since he came here - there's no way he will let Umbridge get rid of him"

"What about the others?" Zach held out his arm to stop Ron "Do you think he'd be willing to stick his neck out for Granger? Or for your sister?"

"That bitch is not my sister" Ron snapped.

"But would he?" Zach pressed "Would he stand up to Umbridge and Scrimgeour over the others?" Ron frowned.

"I don't know" He said after a few moments "He's let Granger run the study group for four years without saying anything about it - maybe he won't do anything this time"

"I'm sure we'll find out" Zach replied, then glanced at his watch "Umbridge said she'd get in touch with us - let us know how it's going" He glanced at his watch again "I've got to go"

"Hot date?" Ron asked with a smirk. Zach laughed.

"Just meeting a friend" He said "Anyway" He turned and walked off. Ron watched him until he vanished, then turned and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

xoxox

"Mr Smith - you are prompt" Bob Gray smiled "I appreciate that - my time is not unlimited" Zach nodded "How goes our plan?"

"Professor Umbridge is meeting with Dumbledore and McGonagall tonight, Mr Gray" Zach replied eagerly "With the evidence that Weasley and I have given her, we think that she can force Dumbledore to expel Granger" Gray's face lit up with elation.

"Do you really think so?" He asked breathlessly. Zach paused, then bit his lip.

"Dumbledore is obsessed with Potter" He said after a moment "No one knows why, but The Headmaster has gone out of his way to protect him and his friends" 

"And you think his desire to protect Harry will keep him from acting on Granger?" Gray let a slight frown cross his face.

"It is possible" Zach admitted reluctantly "I'm sorry, but I thought I should tell you the truth" Gray gazed at him intently for a few minutes, then smiled.

"I appreciate that, Mr Smith" He said with a grin, making Zach relax "Thank you - with your help, hopefully we can get rid of the danger before the time comes" Zach smiled.

"I do my best, Mr Gray"

xoxox

Hermione closed the book in front of her, and sighed. 

While she hadn't been expecting much, the fact that none of the books in The Black Library, and none of the books in Slytherin's personal coolection, had any reference to Pennywise had been a little disappointing.

The nearest she had come was a brief reference to a creature called a glamour - a creature recorded only in the oral history of a tribe of Indians from the Mexican deserts. 

There was even a description of how to defeat it - the most powerful member of the tribe faces the glamour in single combat, then they bite each others tongues and tell jokes.

But even as she'd read it, she'd found herself dismissing it. Even if Pennywise was related to a glamour, IT had been soaked in a magical field so strong that it defied measurement. While the ritual might have some power, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be anywhere near enough to put scratch Pennywise, let alone kill him.

She glanced around Slytherin's study again, then closed her eyes.

"Why me?" She asked quietly "Why has this been left with me?" 

"Because it is your destiny" A voice answered "Because there is no one else who can do it. No one else who can bring this to an end" 

"But why me?" She asked again, opening her eyes to find herself in a replica of her father's office, sitting opposite a figure draped in a pure white robe "Why am I the only one?"

"What do you want me to say?" The figure asked, and she could have sworn it was grinning in amusement "I could tell you that it has to be you because you were the one who was prophesied but the truth is....."

"I was the one prophesied because it had to be me" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I see you are starting to understand" The figure said "You have the ability to lead, but not the desire - that puts you in the perfect place" 

"So you are saying I have no choice?" She asked in resignation, then - to her surprise - the figure shook its head.

"You always have a choice, Miss Potter-Granger" It said plainly "You can leave early, and IT would not come after you" Hermione stared at the figure, then smiled.

"But IT would be free to keep killing" She said, still smiling "I would be trading my life for the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands of others"

"Something you are not willing to countenance"

"Quite" She replied, then frowned "But why involve the others...." She trailed off, then shook her head "I can't do this on my own - IT would kill me before I could get out my first spell"

"They are not just there as canon fodder, my child" The figure said in a slightly disappointed tone "They each have their own skills and their own part to play - like you, they are chosen and you need them"

"Strength through unity"

"Unity through faith" The figure nodded. Hermione stared at it for a moment, then closed her eyes.

"Tell me something - is this all in my mind, or is it real?" As she opened her eyes to find herself alone in Slytherin's study, she heard the figure's final words echo through her thoughts.

"Of course it is all in your mind, but what earth on makes you think that doesn't make it real?"

xoxox

Dumbledore glanced at McGonagall, then turned back to stare at Umbridge.

"I'm not sure I entirely understand, Professor" He said carefully.

"The Minister would like your support in preventing this scholarship program from being expanded and extended" Umbridge repeated "What part of the request is giving you problems?" Dumbledore looked over at McGonagall again, then shook his head.

"The Minister summarily stripped me of my position as Head of The Wizengamot because I used my position to question his dubious choices. Since then, he has been conducting a vendetta against me - one that has nearly driven me out of the country" Dumbledore said carefully "So forgive me, Professor Umbridge, if I find it difficult to understand why he now requires my help and why he thinks I will do anything to co-operate with him"

"You oppose these scholarships as much as The Minister and I do, Headmaster, so don't pretend that this is something you oppose" She leaned forward "If you don't stop them now, they will destroy this school"

"Destroy?" McGonagall raised her eyebrows "I hardly think it is that serious"

"Don't you?" Umbridge turned to her "If someone gave you hundreds of galleons so you could come here, wouldn't you think you owed them something? And wouldn't you be willing to support them in the future?" She turned back to Dumbledore "They are building a power base, Headmaster - one that will see this school eventually ruled by the muggle-born and the muggles that spawned them" She leaned back in her chair "Of course, if you are happy with a thousands years of history disappear, then feel free to carry on the way you are" Dumbledore stared at her, then inclined his head.

"We can't prevent them handing out the money to whomever they see fit" He replied after a moment "And the Charter forbids us from excluding people on any grounds other than being incapable of following the curriculum"

"But you are allowing your staff to cooperate with them" Umbridge pressed "They are handing over academic records to allow this group to decide which students should be rewarded" She paused "If you told them to stop - if you stopped giving out these results, the scholarships would have to stop as well" 

"What about the initial ones?" McGonagall asked.

"If we can thwart part of their plans, the rest will be easier to stop" Umbridge smiled "And, in relation to that, I believe that the Granger girl has started her study group again, and I wanted to let you know I am going to be questioning some of the students about it over the next two weeks"

xoxox

Ron walked in to Myrtle's bathroom, and looked around.

The day before, he had met with Mr Gray in the new boathouse to tell him about his and Zach's plan to get rid of Granger. Gray had seemed interested, but then had suggested that he should visit the bathroom where the ghost lived.

Ron had asked him why, but Mr Gray had merely smiled and told him he should look in to it.

He looked around again, then realised that Myrtle wasn't there. 

"So.... what am I supposed to find?" He asked himself, then he turned as he heard a loud, grinding noise. He stared down the length of the bathroom, then he ducked in to an empty cubicle, holding the door slightly ajar.

xoxox

".....Ha! I've never had the money before!" Sally grinned as the other three laughed "Yes! A joke everyone understands!"

"It had to happen sometime" Harry grinned and kissed her on the cheek "So - what's on the plan for the rest of the day?"

"I've got a bit of homework to do" Ginny said reluctantly "While I am a fan of all the fun and frolics we have in The Clubhouse, I am falling a little behind in Charms, and as nice as Professor Flitwick is, I don't think he can cover for me forever"

"What's the problem?" Neville asked, putting his arm over her shoulders "Maybe I can help?" Ginny laughed.

"You're part of the reason I am having problems" She replied, gazing up at him "Every time I try to shrink something, my mind drifts up to you and I end up making it burst in to flames" Neville smiled.

"I can help if you want" Sally replied "Come back to Hufflepuff with us" She glanced at Harry "You'll be okay on your own?"

"Snidge is meeting me upstairs" Harry nodded "We're making plans for Sunday, just in case"

"Be careful" Ginny said seriously, and Harry nodded again.

"I am nothing if not careful" He replied, then he missed the next step, tripped and caught himself a second before he fell flat on his face. Sally, Neville and Ginny stared down at him, then Neville looked at the other two.

"Are you sure we should let him out alone?" He asked.

"We could lock him in The Clubhouse until Mr Finch and Galinda finish what they are up to" Sally suggested "I'm sure they'd be happy to keep an eye on him"

"Hate you all" Harry pushed himself up. 

"We love you too, brother dear" Ginny kissed him on the cheek "Now - do you think you can make it upstairs without tripping over your own shoelaces?" Harry glared at her "Alright then" She turned to Neville and Sally "Shall we?"

xoxox

Ron watched as the four friends left the bathroom, then he pulled the door closed and sat down on the toilet.

For a few moments, he thought about what he'd seen, then he stood up again. He peered out of the cubicle, then - when he was sure the bathroom was empty - he pushed the door open and headed out.

xoxox

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, then looked across at the four Heads of House.

"Professor Umbridge believes that Hermione Potter-Granger and her friends are running The Study Group again, but this time in secret" He said calmly "Since she has forbidden any unathorised extra-curricular groups, she informed me that she is going to launch an investigation and question a number of students about it" He looked at each of them in turn "Do any of you know anything about it?"

"No, Headmaster" Snape shook his head "I haven't noticed anything strange"

"But how many in your House would go to this?" Sprout asked "I mean - it wasn't that popular with Slytherin to start with" Snape tilted his head in acknowledgement "I can't say I have noticed anything either"

"Filius?" McGonagall asked. 

"As far as I am aware, Miss Potter-Granger has kept to the promise she made when you and Albus failed to stand up for her earlier this year" Flitwick replied "I have no reason to think she is doing anything wrong" He stared at Dumbledore "Will we be permitted to sit in on these interrogations?"

"That will be up to Professor Umbridge" Dumbledore replied "So - none of you know anything?" They all shook their heads "Very well - if there is nothing going on, then Miss Potter-Granger should have nothing to fear" Flitwick exchanged glances with Sprout, both rolling their eyes.

xoxox

Ron sprinted down to the boathouse and flung the door open. 

"Mr Weasley" Bob Gray smiled as Ron walked in "Twice in one day - I am honoured"

"Why did you show me that?" Ron demanded.

"I thought you should know the truth" Gray replied calmly, ignoring Ron's angry tone "You have been somewhat forthright about your former sister's character, and I thought you deserved to know how close you are"

"You mean...." Ron started, then trailed off, looking doubtful "She's...."

"What else would a girl do down there if not what she does on her back?" Gray stared intently at him.

"What about the others?" Ron asked after a few moments of silence "Perks? Loony?" He looked up at Gray "Granger?"

"Sally and Hermione have been part of this group since the beginning" Gray replied "They have no need to bolster their position by letting the others use them" 

"And Loony?"

"I believe Miss Lovegood is a special case - Potter and his older sister have staked a claim on her, so no one else can touch her" He paused "Although that doesn't seem to apply to young Ginevra"

"You mean....." Ron stared at him, then shook his head "That's just sick"

"And you let it happen" Gray's voice turned hard, making Ron take two steps back in surprise.

"Me?" He said, shaking his head "What...."

"You have had numerous chances to save your sister from her fate - to bring her back to the fold - and you have either failed in your duty or failed to act at all" Gray stared at him intently "Shake your head all you want, Mr Weasley, but you have no one else to blame but yourself" He turned and started to stalk away, then stopped and turned back.

"You will have one more chance to fix your mistake, Mr Weasley - make sure you take it" 

"When?" 

"I will let you know" Gray gave him a smile, then turned and left The Boathouse.

xoxox

Flitwick walked in to the Room of Requirements, and stopped dead at the scene in front of him. Two figures, both armed with swords, were dueling at the edge of a massive precipice. 

"You are wonderful" The first figure - one with curly hair and an Italian accent - said.

"Thank you - I've worked hard to become so" The second figure - dressed all in black and wearing a mask - replied in a voice that Flitwick recognised.

"I admit it - you are better than I am" The first figure said, all the while retreating under the onslaught from the figure in black.

"Then why are you smiling?" The figure in black - who Flitwick now realised was Hermione - asked curiously.

"Because I know something you don't know" The Italian replied, smiling widely.

"What what is that?" 

"I...." The Italian threw his sword from his left hand to his right "....am not left handed" He suddenly let loose with a flurry of well timed and quickly executed blows, forcing Hermione further and further backwards, until she was backed up against a wall. Flitwick stared in concern, then he frowned in confusion as he noticed Hermione was smiling widely as if she was having fun.

"You are amazing" She said in genuine admiration.

"I ought to be, after twenty years" Her opponent replied, carrying out another series of flourishes. Hermione swept aside each one, then grinned.

"There's something I ought to tell you" She said, swatting aside three more strokes.

"Tell me" Hermione thrust her sword forward, forcing the Italian on to his back foot. 

"I...." She then raised her sword "...am not...." She flipped it over, held out her right hand "....left-handed....." Flitwick watched as the sword came down, missed Hermione's hand completely and crashed, hilt first into her foot "...OW!" Flitwick burst out laughing, causing Hermione to spin round, flushing bright red as she did so.

"My apologies, Hermione - I didn't mean to spy on you" He said quickly, walking over to where the Italian swordsman was now watching them, sword down by his side "I just got caught up in the moment"

"No worries, Professor" She waved her hand dismissively "I was just practicing with the Vorpal Sword, and thought I would try something more entertaining than the usual drones" Flitwick turned and looked at her fencing partner, then looked back at her.

"This is Inigo Montoya" She explained "From a film called The Princess Bride" She looked at Inigo "He is looking for the man who murdered his father, and is the second best swordsman in all the land" 

"Fine words from someone who has yet to beat me" Inigo snorted in derision. Hermione smiled at him and gave a mocking bow.

"I will have my day, sir" She said formally "But - until then - I will bid you adieu" She waved her hand, and the figure of Inigo Montoya vanished. 

"Interesting young man" Flitwick said after a moment "Does he ever find the man he is looking for?"

"Spoilers" Hermione grinned, making Flitwick laugh "But we - the seven of us - are going home for Christmas, so if you'd like to come round one day, you can watch the film for yourself" She grinned "I think you'll like it"

"I have no doubt I will" Flitwick nodded, then he sighed "Last night, I had a meeting with Professor Dumbledore and the other Heads of Houses" Hermione looked at him, then sat down on the nearest rock.

"He's retiring to take up coaching women's volleyball in Jamaica?" She asked hopefully. Flitwick sat down opposite her and smiled.

"How did you guess?" He asked, then sighed again "Professor Umbridge seems to be under the impression that you are running your study group against her expressed instructions" Hermione frowned.

"Did the spell....." Flitwick shook his head.

"No one has broken the spell - I would have been informed the moment anyone did" 

"Well - I suppose that's a relief" She said "So how does she know?"

"There are people who aren't in the group who might have a grudge against you, and who might have noticed what is going on" Flitwick suggested "Two or three candidates come to mind almost at once"

"Ron, Zach and Malfoy" Hermione nodded "What does she know? What does Dumbledore know?"

"They know nothing for certain, but she is going to start questioning students over the next few days - probably after the weekend" Hermione nodded.

"Will you be sitting in on these interviews?" She asked.

"We haven't been invited" He replied sourly "Which does make me a little suspicious"

"Oh well - what's the worst she can do?" Hermione grinned "Dumbledore won't let her expel me, and after her last attempt to discipline me, she can't do much else" Flitwick noticed her rub her left hand over her right.

"You don't have to be scared you know" He said softly. She turned to him.

"Professor, I am only scared of one thing in this world, and that stupid, toad-bitch of a woman doesn't even come close" She replied firmly "But thank you for letting me know, and thank you for caring"

"If there's anything else I can do?" He asked, but she shook her head.

"This is our problem, and I won't have you getting yourself in to trouble because of us" She held her hand up, forestalling his answer "I know you think we are worth it, and I promise - if we need your help, we won't hesitate to ask, but for now we can deal with this" He nodded, then stood up.

"So - want to take another run at this Inigo guy?" He asked. She grinned, jumped to her feet and picked up her sword.

"Bring it on!"


	17. Year 5 - Inquisitions

"I still can't believe you rented out the entire park for me for the whole day" Ginny grinned as she, Harry and Hermione walked in to The Great Hall, and joined the other four at the end of the Ravenclaw table "And the Princess ceremony? That was amazing"

"We live to serve" Hermione smiled "Plus, not to downplay my brilliant contribution or anything, but both the House of Black and the House of Potter-Granger are shareholders in the park, and between us we have a fair amount of clout" 

"But still...." Ginny grinned again, then threw her arms around Hermione and kissed her cheek. A moment later, she did the same to Sally, leaving both girls blushing "Thank you - I had a truly wonderful time"

"You are most welcome" Hermione said, still slightly pink, then she looked at Sally "So - just your birthday to go, Newt"

"What about yours? And FB and Xy?" Sally asked curiously.

"We've decided we're going to celebrate ours as one big one, on the 30th" Neville replied "Otherwise it would be three big parties in three days"

"And the problem with that is...."

"By the time we get to FB's big day, we'll be all partied out and no one will be in the mood to go whitewater rafting down Niagra Falls" Blaise said with a laugh.

"How did you guess that's what I had planned?" Hermione pouted at him, making Blaise laugh even harder.

"But, as Xy says, we're going to have a big party on the 30th to celebrate all three birthdays together" She continued "Not sure what we're going to do yet, but no doubt we'll come up with something" 

"You always do" Sally grinned.

"In the mean time, we've got four months to figure out what to do for Bex's big day " Hermione smiled back "Suggestions and advice are entirely welcome"

"I will give it some thought" Sally smiled, then glanced up The Hall "Dumbledore hasn't said anything? Or McGonagall?"

"Nope" Hermione shook her head "I guess he must be desperate to stay on Farm Boy's good side"

"And how long do you think that will last?" Blaise asked.

"Until the next time Jamie says no to him" Luna replied with a fond smile at her boyfriend "So - about five minutes" Harry smiled back at her.

xoxox

"Professor - while I know I can not prevent you from doing this, I would ask that you arrange your schedule to minimise the disruption to the school" Dumbledore said quietly as Umbridge finished making notes on the parchment in front of her.

"Of course, Headmaster" Umbridge nodded "However, when I find the proof I am looking for, I am going to act on it" She stared down The Hall to the seven students at the end of The Ravenclaw table "Regardless of who it inconveniences" 

"Professor....."

"I have my instructions, Headmaster, and so do you" Umbridge said firmly "And you will obey them, or you will be replaced" Dumbledore stared at her, disbelief on his face.

"I don't know what tales The Minister has told you, Professor, but you do not have the power to replace me, and neither does he" Umbridge simply smiled.

"What about The Board?" She said quietly, then she smirked as Dumbledore's face fell "Do you have enough supporters on The Board of Governors to ensure your survival?" Before he could reply, she picked up the parchments and stood up.

xoxox

"If I might have your attention?" Ron looked up as Umbridge started speaking, a look of eagerness crossing his face.

"Following reports from a few students, it has become apparent that someone is running an unauthorised extra-curricular activity" Umbridge looked around The Hall, judging people's reactions "If anyone has any knowledge of this group, they should come forward now - your cooperation will be rewarded" Ron looked around, but no one moved.

"Over the next few days, I will be conducting a number of interviews with various students. You will be expected to cooperate fully with these interviews, and both The Minister and your families will be informed if you fail to do so" She smiled ingratiatingly "I am sure you would not want to damage your future prospects over something as trivial as this, would you?" She turned her attention to the end of The Ravenclaw table, and found the Granger girl staring back at her with a look of contempt.

"When I discover the ring-leaders behind this little group - and believe me, I will find out who you are - they will be punished severely" She paused "However - if you are willing to turn yourselves in now, I will be willing to show leniency" She glanced at her parchments "Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ernie MacMillan, Padma Patil and Terry Boot - you will report to my office after the evening meal" Ron's smile faded slightly as he heard his brothers' names called out, but almost at once he dismissed the thoughts in his head. They'd already sided with Ginny and ripped the family apart - if they were involved with Granger's group, they deserved all they got.

He looked over to where Granger and the others were sitting, and once again a smile crossed his face.

"They'll get what they deserve" He said to himself "They'll pay"

xoxox

"Nissa, Galinda - I need a favour" Hermione said as the seven friends walked out of The Hall to head to their lessons "Bex and Xy too" She looked around then stopped.

"Anything" Luna replied, and the other three nodded.

"I want you to tell those who've been summoned tonight - as well as anyone else you can reach - not to worry about Umbridge's interviews" Hermione said firmly "The spell won't let them talk, but if they do end up telling her anything, I won't hold it against them"

"You know they won't betray you" Luna insisted quietly.

"I know" Hermione nodded with a smile "But I don't want them jeopardising their futures just to protect me - they will have to live in this country a long time after we are gone"

"We'll make sure they know" Ginny said "But even if you ordered them to turn you in, I think they'd rather take the blame themselves" She grinned slightly "You are very well liked, sister of mine"

"I know" Hermione sighed "But can you at least try to convince them to be a little bit selfish?"

"We'll try" Neville laughed.

"That's all I ask" Hermione kissed his cheek, then turned to Blaise "Come on - time for yet more fun with the Lady In Pink"

xoxox

"Mr Weasley" Umbridge looked across her desk at Fred "Where were you last Wednesday night?"

"My brother and I went out for a walk" He replied "We had a few ideas for our life after Hogwarts that we wanted to discuss"

"And you couldn't discuss them in the common room?" Umbridge quirked an eyebrow at him "Any particular reason?"

"It's a skrewt eat skrewt world out there, Professor" He smiled "We don't want people stealing our ideas, do we?"

"And if I ask your brother the same question, he will give me the same answer?" 

"Since it's the truth, Professor, I would imagine so" Fred's face fell "Unless you think I am lying to you?" Umbridge smiled.

"How well do you know Miss Granger?" 

xoxox

"Hermione Potter-Granger?" George smiled "We've been friends for a while, and since she adopted our little sister, we've kind of looked after her"

"Adopted? Don't you mean kidnapped?" George took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

"If I might ask, what has this to do with the study group?" 

"You are clearly friends with Miss Granger - you credit her with saving your sister" Umbridge said simply "That might give you a reason to lie - to protect her"

"Since she hasn't done anything wrong, why would she need protection?" George asked Umbridge in a polite voice.

"Mr Weasley - you and your brother want to make something of yourselves after you leave school?"

xoxox

"Yes, Professor" 

"How easy do you think that will be if it becomes apparent you are unwilling to cooperate with The Ministry and your record shows that you impeded a Ministry investigation?" She leaned forward "Is this girl worth risking your entire future for?" Ernie shrugged at Umbridge's words

"Surely I would only be risking my future if I lied to you" He said in a disinterested tone "And since I am not, then I have nothing to fear, do I?"

"The Ministry has a long memory, Mr Macmillan, and so do I" She leaned back in her chair "You would do well to remember that as you consider your replies" 

xoxox

"Why is The Ministry so interested in what a group of school kids might be doing?" Padma stared at Umbridge intently "I mean - if You Know Who has returned, shouldn't you be focusing your energy on stopping him?"

"The Minister and DMLE is taking care of that" Umbridge replied calmly "And part of that is ensuring that people are not lead astray by a few malcontents who think they know better than their leaders"

"You are going after Hermione because of what her parents have done?" Padma asked.

"Miss Granger has been one of the strongest voices denying You Know Who's return - and the fact she is building a secret army of students here is a supreme cause for concern and I will not allow it" She slammed her hand on the desk "If you know anything about this, Miss Patil, you have a duty to tell me" Padma stared at her, then shook her head.

"I haven't attended a session of the study group since the end of last year" She said.

xoxox

"And that is your final word on the situation, Mr Boot?"

"Yes"

"Very well" Umbridge folded her arms "You are dismissed" 

"Yes, Professor" He stood up, turned and walked out of her office.

xoxox

Ten minutes later, he walked in to The Ravenclaw common room, looked around, then walked over to where Luna and Ginny were talking to Padma.

"You've filled them in?" He asked, sitting down next to Padma. She nodded.

"Did she go on a rant about Hermione to you as well?" She asked, and he sighed.

"Umbridge thinks that Harry has seduced her in to working for You Know Who, and that when the day comes, Min and he will serve at You Know Who's right hand as husband and wife" Luna and Ginny both snorted in derision.

"Snidge and Farm Boy married?" Ginny smirked "Oh god I would pay good money to see that" Terry and Padma exchanged glances.

"You aren't worried about the You Know Who part?" Terry asked.

"Voldemort...." Luna said, then paused as Terry and Padma shivered in fear "....has been dead since Halloween, and even if he wasn't, I can't imagine that anyone would think Farm Boy of all people would want to serve at his right hand"

"We know" Padma said "And she told me that Hermione is raising a secret army so that she can help her parents overthrow The Ministry and set themselves up as the new government" Luna and Ginny looked at each other and Ginny smiled.

"Now that's slightly more believable" Ginny admitted "Still not true, but more believable than serving a dead Dark Lord with inferiority issues" Terry and Padma raised their eyebrows curiously, but Ginny waved her hand dismissively "It's not important" She looked at Luna "Should we let them know?"

"I think Fred and George probably already have" Luna replied "But we can talk to them in the morning" She looked back at Padma and Terry "So - anything else we should know?"

xoxox

"I think you should consider stopping the meetings" George said quietly. He, Fred and Hermione were in the seventh year boys' dorm. Harry was outside, leaning against the door, ready to alert them if any one came along.

"No" Hermione shook her head firmly "We are doing a good thing, and I'm not going to let her stop us" 

"And if we get caught?" Fred asked.

"It's my group" She replied with a smile "And since I am such a..... persuasive person, I talked all of you in to it" She grinned "And what with the spell I subjected you to, you obviously couldn't tell anyone"

"We can't let you take the blame" The twins said together, but Hermione raised her hand.

"Guys - I know you want to protect me, and I appreciate it, but trust me - I am not afraid of what she'll do to me, and neither are my friends" They both frowned "You can ask them yourselves if you don't believe me"

"Oh - no, we believe you" Fred grinned "You've never lied to us, and Ginny trusts you implicitly"

"So why the frown?"

"We still don't like leaving you at the mercy of that witch" George said quietly "You've done so much for Ginny, and for the rest of us - we can't just stand by and do nothing" Hermione blinked a few times, then smiled.

"Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Of course"

"Then trust that we have nothing to fear from Umbridge, or from The Ministry" Hermione said sincerely "We'll be fine" The twins stared at her, then they both nodded.

"Okay" Fred continued "I'll let everyone know that the meetings will continue" 

"We might have to hold them less frequently, but I think I know a way we can avoid detection" Hermione smiled, then she stood up "We should probably go back to the common room - no doubt Ron has noticed we're missing, and god knows what story he will be spinning in that warped little mind of his" Fred and George laughed, then followed her out of the dorm.

xoxox

The next morning, Harry found Parvati, Dean and Cormac waiting for him in the common room.

"We three are up next" Cormac said quickly "Along with Justin and Orla"

"You remember what she asked?" Harry asked, and they nodded "Then you shouldn't have any problem"

xoxox

Umbridge watched as Dean walked out of her office, then she slammed her hand down on the desk.

She knew - KNEW - that the Granger girl was running her study group, and that she was recruiting any number of students to her cause.

But either all the students Granger had recruited were incredibly loyal, or somehow she had guessed wrong about who she should interview.

She looked down at the parchment again, then screwed it up and hurled it across the room. The five names she had for the day after would probably be as big as a waste of time as the last ten, and she was sick of wasting her time.

"It's time to move to the end game" She said to herself "But first, something to help things along"

xoxox

Jennifer and Sidney exchanged glances, then they looked back at Flitwick.

"We understand, Filius" Jennifer said kindly "We knew that when we announced this that any number of people would object" 

"Plus Dumbledore never really liked it in the first place, and only went along with it because he was sucking up to our son" Sidney added.

"I'm just sorry to let you down" Flitwick said apologetically "Without these scholarships....." He shrugged "The magical world will continue the way it always has"

"They haven't stopped the initial scholarships" Jennifer smiled "And maybe we can find away to continue with the merit based ones despite Dumbledore's opposition"

"There is the chance that they are going to move on those next" Flitwick suggested "Dumbledore and The Board are going to oppose students studying abroad - they might alter the charter to insist that any student who starts in the first year must complete their studies at Hogwarts" Jennifer sighed.

"Well - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" She said, then frowned "Is this coming more from The Minister or from our beloved Headmaster?" 

"I'd like to blame it all on Scrimgeour and his rampant paranoia about you and EBH, but Dumbledore has been looking for a reason to do this since you started it and while he distrusts The Minister, he is happy to go along with this for the moment because it serves his purpose as well"

"Swell" Sidney rolled his eyes "What about this investigation in to Lucy's Army? Will that go anywhere?"

"Probably not, no" Flitwick smiled "The secrecy spell will prevent people talking to Umbridge, and even without that, your daughter has a lot of very loyal supporters, none of whom would be willing to turn her over to the wolves" Both parents smiled.

"Good" Sidney nodded, then smiled wryly "Even if the idea of having all seven of the children out of the school has more than a little appeal" 

xoxox

"Professor Snape - I require your assistance" Snape looked up from his desk as Umbridge walked down the dungeon towards him.

"I am, as always, at your disposal, Madam Inquisitor" He tilted his head "How maybe I be of assistance to you today?"

"I am going to question Granger and her friends tomorrow" Umbridge said calmly "However, given that the others I have questioned have all lied to me, I would like to ensure that doesn't happen with Granger" Snape simply stared at her without replying.

"I would like seven phials of veritaserum, Professor Snape" She continued after a moment. Snape continued to stare at her for a few moments, then leaned forward, resting his head on his interlaced fingers.

"Professor, as you are from The Ministry, I assume you are aware of what you are asking?" He asked quietly "That veritaserum is a controlled potion and that I am not permitted to supply it without a certificate of sale from The Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"I am aware of the rules, Professor" Umbridge smiled "But I am a special envoy from The Minister himself, with broad powers and a wide latitude in the scope of what I can do"

"Are you saying that you can grant me permission to supply it? Without involving The DMLE?" He asked intently "You will give me a certificate yourself?" He paused "No, because there will be no record of this" 

"You understand" She nodded "You will give me what I need, and tell no one, or you will disobey an order from The Ministry and face the consequences" She rested her hands on the desk between them "What's it to be?" 

xoxox

"Zabini! See me after class!" Blaise looked up in surprise as Snape snapped at him. 

"Sir?" He glanced at Harry and Hermione, but they shrugged in confusion.

"I do not feel the need to repeat myself, Zabini - you will see me after class" Snape turned away, his cloak flaring out behind him. Blaise stared after him for a moment, then looked round at his friends.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"You are sat with us" Hermione said with a laugh, but Blaise didn't respond "Fin? What's wrong?"

"I thought he was over that - picking on me, just because I didn't fall in line with Malfoy" He looked down the length of the classroom to where Snape was leaning over Ron Weasley and Dean Thomas "Maybe I was wrong" Hermione reached out and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He grinned at her, then looked back down at his cauldron.

"Why is this green?"

xoxox

"Mr Zabini - sit down" Snape glared at Blaise. Blaise stared back, then took a seat on the front bench.

"Sir - what did I do wrong?" He asked in as polite a tone as he could manage.

"Mr Zabini - I am only going to say this once, so you would do well to keep your mouth closed and your ears open" Snape said quietly. Blaise opened his mouth to reply, then nodded and closed it.

"A wise decision" Snape let the smallest of smiles cross his lips "Last night, after her latest round of interrogations, Professor Umbridge came to see me. She was somewhat..... put out as no one was willing to talk"

"Good for them" Blaise smiled.

"I believe I told you to be silent" Snape hissed. Blaise nodded, and Snape continued.

"She informed me that she is going to interview you and your friends next, particularly Miss Potter-Granger, and that this time she will not let you stay silent" He paused "She came to see me to ask for seven phials of veritaserum" Blaise's eyes widened in surprise. 

"She gave me the choice to either provide her with what she wanted, or to face sanctions from The Ministry for disobeying her instructions" He paused "I chose to do both" 

"Sir?" 

"I gave her seven phials, but they are filled with water" Snape said quietly "However, you and your friends must not drink anything she gives you"

"Because then she would wonder why we can resist it" Blaise nodded, making Snape smile again.

"Miss Potter-Granger's influence?" He asked, but waved his hand before Blaise could respond "It does not matter - you must not give her any more reason to be suspicious of you than she already is, otherwise Filius and Pomona will not be able to protect you any longer" If he had expected any reaction from Blaise, he didn't get one.

"There is something you should understand, Mr Zabini" Snape walked round the desk until he was stood directly in front of the young Slytherin "If you tell her the truth, she will destroy you. But if you don't - if you chose to protect your friend - then she will simply redouble her efforts to destroy you"

"What would you do, sir?" Blaise asked. Snape stared at him, then tilted his head to one side thoughtfully.

"I would advise you to do what is best for yourself, Mr Zabini - but somewhat I think that advice would be wasted"

xoxox

Dumbledore closed his eyes as Umbridge called out the seven names. 

"Please report to my office after you finish your meal" Umbridge finished, then she sat down and picked up her knife and fork.

"Albus?" Dumbledore opened his eyes to find McGonagall looking at him with a worried expression.

"Forgive me, Minerva" He sighed "I knew that Professor Umbridge would get to this point eventually, but I thought she might at least wait until after Christmas"

"Would you like me to...." She started, but he shook his head.

"We can't interfere with The High Inquisitor, Minerva" He said calmly.

"And if she tries to expel Harry?" She asked quietly. 

"Mr Potter-Granger has made his own bed, Minerva, and he will have to deal with the consequences" Dumbledore replied "It might be that this will make him realise I am not his enemy, and that life outside my protection is not as.... appealing as he might think"

"Do you really think that is a possibility?"

"We can only hope"

xoxox

The seven friends walked up to Umbridge's office, and stopped. Hermione stared at the door, then turned to the others.

"She's going to want to interview us one at a time" She said quickly "She'll want to separate us, and she will probably try to use us against each other" She paused, glancing back at the door "I promise that whatever she does, I won't turn on you" The other six nodded in agreement.

"I think I can speak for all of us, Snidge, when I say there is nothing she can do to get us to turn on you either" Luna said with a fond smile "Or to turn on each other" The others nodded again.

"I know, and I love you all for it" She smiled, then leaned over and kissed Luna's cheek "No one goes back alone - when she's done with you, come back and wait with the rest of us" Everyone nodded for a third time "Okay then - lets see what she has for us today" Hermione turned and knocked on the office door. It opened a moment later, and Umbridge was framed in the light coming from inside.

"Miss Granger - nice to see that your parents have at least taught you to be on time, even if they haven't instilled a respect for your betters" Hermione simply stared back "And I see that you have brought the rest of your..... friends - how thoughtful"

"I am nothing if not cooperative" Hermione replied politely.

"Quite" Umbridge smiled in a slightly smarmy manner "Mr Potter - please come in" Harry glanced at Hermione, and she smiled. Harry returned the smile, then walked in to the office, closing the door behind him. 

"So - what do we do in the meantime?" Blaise asked "I don't think we should discuss....." He glanced at the door, then back ".....the circus" 

"Probably best not to" Hermione nodded, then a big grin crossed her face "How many of you have heard of the picnic game?"

xoxox

"Please, have a seat" Umbridge gestured to the chair in front of her desk. Harry looked at it, then shook his head.

"No, thank you Professor" He said politely "I'd prefer to stand"

"Are you sure? This could take a while, and I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable"

"You've accused my sister of building an army so that my parents can overthrow The Ministry and set themselves up as Joint Emperors of Britain" Harry continued in the same polite tone "That is hardly the best way to engender my trust" Umbridge frowned.

"I am not here to gain your trust, Mr Potter - I am here to find out the extent of the conspiracy you and your friends are engaged in - the conspiracy your sister is leading" She paused "However, I am willing to accept that you have been mislead in all this, and to help you deal with those who have betrayed you" She smiled "Would you like a drink?"

"Thank you, but no" He shook his head. Umbridge's smile faltered slightly, but then she recharged it without missing a beat.

"Very well - when did your sister start running the study group?" 

"In our first year" He replied "Along with Neville and Sally" 

"I mean this year"

"She hasn't been running it this year, Professor - not since you unilaterally banned it" 

"Then why do I have reports from numerous people that she has?" Harry shrugged "Is that your only answer, Mr Potter?"

"I am afraid I can't speak for anyone else, especially when I don't know who they are" 

"Ah - so that's what you want" Umbridge leaned forward, looking smug "You want to know who my informants are, so that you can put pressure on them to stop talking to me!"

"No Professor" He shook his head "All I want is to stop this campaign against my sister and my family"

"Then tell me the truth, and it will all end" 

xoxox

".....and a dynamically disastrous diploid diving daily for diamonds" Harry stopped as he left Umbridge's office, then looked at his sister.

"The picnic game? You didn't get enough of that in Disney World?"

"How could I possibly get enough?" She grinned, then she smiled faded as Umbridge walked up behind Harry.

"Mr Potter - you are excused. You may return to your common room"

"Thank you Professor, but I'm going to wait for my friends" Umbridge stared at him for a moment, then turned to Luna.

"Miss Lovegood"

xoxox

"....and a plastic.... Galinda?" 

"Galinda doesn't start with a P" Sally complained.

"I think she meant me, Bex" Sally looked round as Luna walked out of the office, then glanced at her watch.

"Two and a half minutes?" She asked, and Luna grinned.

"I think I might have broken her" Luna said with a slight smirk "She asked me about the study group, and the answer I gave her....." She paused, then shrugged "Mr Finch, Bex - she seems to want to talk to both of you at once" 

"Okay" Blaise took Sally's hand, and they both walked in to the office, pushing the door closed behind them. Luna closed her eyes, then looked up at Hermione.

"So - a plastic Galinda?"

xoxox

"I understand the pressure you are both under" Umbridge looked at the two students sat in front of her "Family obligations - the desire to make your parents proud of you - can be very strong motivators" She leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk.

"But you should not let your parents decide your future for you" She continued intently "They might be willing to sell their futures to become part of this cult, but that doesn't mean you have to be dragged along with them" She looked at Blaise.

"Mr Zabini - from what Professor Snape tells me, you have a bright future ahead of you in either potions or charms - both of which would lead to a position in The Ministry or even being a teacher here" She looked at Sally.

"And Miss Black - you control one of the most powerful and influential Houses in The Wizengamot and the country. It is not an exaggeration to say that when you come of age, and take full control of your assets, you will have the world at your feet" She leaned back in her chair.

"Between you, you could do a great deal of good" 

"But only if we help you" Blaise said calmly, toying with the cup in his hand.

"It is not a matter of helping me, Mr Zabini. It is a matter of showing your support for The Ministry and your ability to adapt to the current situation" Umbridge said in a patronising tone "Just because your parents have chosen to align themselves with a doomed cause doesn't mean you need to too" Blaise and Sally exchanged glances, then Sally turned back to Umbridge with a smile on her face.

"Professor Umbridge, you appear to be under a serious misapprehension" She said brightly "Our parents got involved with Emily Brown Holdings because we suggested that they should"

"Pardon me?"

"We made friends with Jennifer and Sidney a year or so ago, and we were so impressed with them that we recommended our parents should become involved in their plans" Sally continued "Their approach to our world is very refreshing and unique, and something we - and our parents - think should be encouraged" 

"And to do that you would be willing to protect their daughter from her just punishment?" Umbridge said coldly "Because you think her parents are the future, you are willing to lie to The Ministry? To me?"

"If she had done anything that required us to lie to you, then yes - we would lie to you and to The Ministry" Blaise said in the same tone "But since she has obeyed every single one of your stupid declarations and decrees, then there is no reason to lie to you, is there?"

xoxox

".....and a tertiary tesseracting tardis with twin turbo turrets" Ginny turned as Blaise and Sally came out of Umbridge's office "My turn now?"

"Yeah" Sally looked at Neville "Seems she doesn't want to talk to you at all"

"Oh woe is me" He replied in a deadpan voice "I feel so left out"

xoxox

"Miss Weasley....."

"Miss Potter-Granger" Ginny interrupted "Mr and Mrs Potter-Granger were kind enough to adopt me, Professor, and I would appreciate it if you showed them the respect they deserve"

"You think they deserve respect for stealing you from your family? For forcing you to turn your back on your heritage and ancestors?" Umbridge asked, a touch of sarcasm in her voice.

"Molly Weasley stood by while Professor Dumbledore cast an unforgivable curse on me, Professor" Ginny replied in a calm voice "If Jennifer and Sidney hadn't rescued me, I have no doubt Mrs Weasley would have tried it again the moment I returned" She folded her arms over her stomach "I owe them my life, my mind and my sanity, and I do not like it when people fail to show them the respect they deserve"

"Is it because you owe them so much you are willing to lie for their daughter?" 

"When have I lied?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"You know she is running a prohibited study group and you haven't turned her in" Umbridge said intently "A lie of omission is still a lie"

"My sister hasn't done anything wrong, Professor" Ginny replied "There is nothing to lie about" Umbridge stared at her, then shook her head sadly.

"You disappoint me, Miss Weasley" She said sadly "You and your friends. Can't you see that Miss Granger is leading you down a path that can only end in disaster?" She leaned forward "If you, and your friends let me, I can protect you against reprisals - I can make sure you are safe from her if you want to do the right thing" 

"Professor - my friends and I are willing to follow Hermione to the mouth of hell and beyond if she asked us" Ginny smiled "Do you really think there is anything you can offer us that would match that?"

xoxox

"You are all dismissed - return to your common rooms" Umbridge stood at the door, a severe look on her face.

"Professor?" Hermione stared at her in surprise.

"If I am not speaking clearly, Miss Potter-Granger, I will happily repeat myself" Umbridge stared at her. Hermione blinked in surprise, then shrugged.

"Good night, Professor" She said politely, then, as one, the seven students turned and walked off down the corridor. Umbridge stared after her, then let a wicked smile cross her face.

"Good night, Miss Potter-Granger"


	18. Year 5 - The SLP

The following morning, Umbridge strode in to The Great Hall with a satisfied look on her face. She walked up to the staff table and placed a parchment down in front of Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Professor" Dumbledore said politely "How are you this morning?"

"I am very well, thank you" Umbridge smiled "I have finished my investigation in to this rogue study group, and I am ready to take the appropriate action" Dumbledore looked up at her carefully. 

"And what action might that be?" He asked "Because if you are going to expel students, I would advise that you reconsider your plans"

"Professor - since you are aware of the extent of my powers, why do you make idle threats that you know you can not back up?" She asked, but then she smiled "However - I'm not going to expel anyone. It seems that - along with her friends - Miss Granger has managed to convince most of the student body to go along with her campaign of rebellion and dissension" Dumbledore smiled.

"Perhaps the reason you found nothing to support your accusation is that nothing is going on?" He looked at the parchment, then back up at Umbridge "That you are looking for non-existent problems to justify your master's crusade against the people who dared to stand up to him" Umbridge stared back at him for a moment, then smiled.

"I have The Minister's full support in this matter, Headmaster" She said simply "Can you say the same thing?" She picked up the parchment "And speaking of The Minister, I have been in contact with him this morning, and - with his support - I have an announcement to make" She handed the parchment to Dumbledore "I can wait until you've read it, if you wish?" He stared back at her, then he glanced through the parchment.

"You can not be serious" He looked up at her "This will leave the school in chaos, and - with the potential of an attack by Lord Voldemort - I fear it will create some very real security issues" 

"The Minister and The Board have given it their full backing, and Director Bones has been informed and has a number of contingency plans in place" Umbridge held her hand out, and a moment later Dumbledore gave her back the parchment "If you have no further objections, I will make the announcement now" 

"And if I do have further objections?" He asked angrily.

"Then I suggest you take them up with The Minister" Umbridge turned to face the four House tables.

xoxox

"....I guess we're going to find out" Hermione replied as Umbridge turned to face the students "Whatever it is, I'm guessing it's not good" 

"Could the following students please come forward" Umbridge said when The Hall had fallen silent "Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, Tracey Davis, Vincent Crabbe, Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Millicent Bullstrode...."

"Definitely not good" Blaise said quietly.

".... Zacharias Smith and Ronald Weasley" Umbridge finished. Hermione and Ginny exchanged surprised glances as Ron got up from the end of the Gryffindor table and joined the line of 23 other students at the front of The Hall. Umbridge looked up and down the line, then turned to face the rest of the students again.

"As of now, the prefect system at Hogwarts is suspended. You will be required to turn in your badges in your first class today, or face further punishments" She gestured to the students stood behind her "The twenty four students you see behind me will take over the duties formally performed by the prefects, and will be responsible for ensuring the smooth and ordered running of the school" Terry Boot raised his hand "Yes?"

"All but two of that lot are from Slytherin, Professor" He said defiantly "Why are there so few representatives from the other three houses?"

"Over the past few weeks it has become apparent that there is a widespread culture of disobedience and dissension in the school" Umbridge replied "And following the interviews I have conducted over the last few days, it is clear that a number of prefects from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are involved in this campaign" She gestured to the group behind her again "The students you see here were chosen because their loyalty to the school and The Ministry is beyond reproach" 

"But...." Terry started, then stopped as Umbridge silenced him with a glare.

"I will, of course, consider any one else who wants to join this group, providing they can first prove they are as loyal as the students stood behind me" She smiled "People who wish to be interviewed for such a position should see my in person"

"At which point they will be force fed veritaserum and made to swear undying loyalty to the great god Scrimgeour" Hermione said in a sotto voice, making Harry and Ginny smirk.

"There will be no change to the way the new prefects operate - the patrols will continue and, with very few exceptions, students will be sent to their Heads of House for punishment" She smiled "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear and are free to go about your business" She reached in to her pocket, and pulled out a number of small badges, then turned to face the row of students behind her.

One by one, she pinned a red badge with the letters "SLP" engraved in gold on their robes. When she finished, pinning the final badge on to the robes of a beaming Ron Weasley, she turned back to face The Hall.

"Any inquiries or questions on this matter should be brought to me" She smiled "Thank you"

xoxox

"This is your fault you know" Blaise said as he, Harry and Hermione walked down the corridor towards their Charms class.

"My fault?" Hermione asked in surprise "I'm not the one who wanted to form LA" 

"But if you weren't so wonderful and amazing, people wouldn't have wanted you to do it" Blaise replied, making Hermione laugh.

"That is true" She glanced over her shoulder, then turned back "It will be harder with him watching us" 

"I know" Harry nodded "But we're not going to stop, right?"

"It depends on the others" Hermione said quietly "If they want me to continue, I will continue" She glanced over her shoulder again to see Ron swaggering along behind them "However complicated it might be"

xoxox

"Mr Weasley - where is your homework?" Flitwick stared down at Ron, who merely smirked back at him.

"I didn't do it, Professor - Professor Umbridge called a meeting last night" He replied.

"And you think your duties are more important than your schoolwork, do you?" Flitwick's voice hardened slightly "Detention, tonight" 

"Professor Umbridge said....."

"Professor Umbridge is not here" Flitwick said in quiet, intense voice "Detention tomorrow night as well" Ron opened his mouth, then closed it again "And you will hand your homework in before the end of the day, am I understood?"

"Yes, Professor" Ron said sulkily. Flitwick stared at him for a moment longer, then turned back to the rest of the class.

"Today, you are going to learn a charm that will reveal the presence of various potions in food or drinks that you are given" He glanced at Hermione "It was originally used by kings and princes to protect themselves from being poisoned, but nowadays it is also used by members of the DMLE to detect the presence of Veritaserum" He pulled out his wand.

"The incantation for the charm is as follows....."

xoxox

"Professor Flitwick, might I have a word?" Flitwick looked up to find Umbridge stood in the door to his classroom.

"Of course, Professor" He said with a polite smile "How may I assist The High Inquisitor this morning?"

"I am given to understand you have placed a member of the Student Loyalty Patrol in detention for two nights?" She asked, her voice pleasant.

"Mr Weasley failed to do his homework, and when I asked him about it, he was cheeky" Flitwick replied simply "And while I am slightly less..... uptight about the students' behaviour, there are some standards to which I expect children in my class to adhere to" 

"He was doing something on my behalf, Professor - something I believe he told you" 

"Yes, but...."

"And as he was working on my behalf, I think we can forgo the punishment for his transgression. Strictly speaking, it wasn't his fault" Umbridge continued "You will rescind the detentions, Professor" Flitwick paused, then nodded.

"Very well - providing he hands the homework in before the end of today, I will let him out of the detentions" 

"That was not what I said, Professor" Umbridge took a step forward "Mr Weasley has an important role to play, and I can not have him distracted by trivial matters"

"I didn't think that ensuring the education of the students was a trivial matter, Professor" Flitwick replied firmly "Perhaps I was mistaken" Umbridge took a few more steps forward until she was stood in front of his desk.

"Are you suggesting...."

"I am not suggesting anything, Professor" Flitwick replied "If you want me to excuse Mr Weasley from doing his homework, you need merely ask" He met her gaze unflinchingly, and she stared back at him for a few moments, then smiled brightly.

"I am not without the ability to compromise, Professor" She said, still smiling "Mr Weasley will have his homework done by the evening meal, as you requested" Flitwick nodded "I am glad we could come to this arrangement, Professor - I would hate to see a career as distinguished as yours end because of such a tiny misunderstanding" Flitwick returned her bright smile.

"That would be unfortunate, Professor" He said "If that is all, I should prepare for my next class" Umbridge gave a brief nod, then turned and walked out of the classroom.

xoxox

Cormac looked round in surprise as he felt Harry push a note in to his pocket. He started to pull the piece of parchment out, then - as he saw Ron and Zach walking down the corridor towards him - he withdrew his hand and continued walking along in the direction he had been.

xoxox

Terry opened his mouth as Luna walked towards him, then closed it when he realised she wasn't even looking at him. As she walked passed him, she brushed her hand against his, and he came away with a small piece of folded parchment. 

Walking round the corner, he slipped in to an empty classroom and unfolded the parchment.

xoxox

Susan and Hannah looked up as Neville walked up to their table in the library. 

"I just thought you might want the book back" He said with a smile. He reached in to his bag and pulled out a large book "It was very informative, especially the chapter on doxies" He put it down on the desk "Thanks again"

"You're welcome" Susan returned his smile. Neville nodded, then turned and walked away. Hannah picked up the book, and flicked to the chapter he'd mentioned. 

xoxox

"Do you think they'll come?" Hermione asked, pacing back and forth. She, Harry and Luna had gone to The Shrieking Shack at lunch, and were waiting for the people they'd contacted to turn up.

"If they can work out what the message means, I think they'll come" Luna said calmly "Cormac is a big fan of yours, and Hannah and Susan have been strong supporters of all this since the beginning"

"And Terry?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. Luna bit her lip, looking hesitant "That's what I thought"

"It's not that he doesn't support you" Luna said after a few moments, it's just that....." She paused "His parents are Scrimgeour loyalists, and he has been brought up thinking that wizards are the superior species" 

"So...." Hermione started, and Luna nodded.

"Taking orders and advice from a witch - a muggle-born witch at that - is not that easy for him" She said "But he is trying, and you have to admit, he is getting better"

"Thank you" Terry, Cormac, Hannah and Susan were stood at entrance to the room. Luna blushed.

"Sorry - I didn't mean...." 

"Yes, you did" Terry said quietly "And you weren't wrong" He looked over at Hermione "I know I've been....." He glanced at Luna with a smirk "Trying" He looked back at Hermione ".... but I have learned a lot, and I really do appreciate everything" Hermione smiled.

"Thank you" She walked over and kissed him on the cheek, then she took a few steps back "And thank you all for coming - I know it's a risk with Umbridge and her brown-shirts running the school - and I do appreciate your support" 

"You've taught us a lot" Hannah said firmly "And what she's doing is wrong"

"My Aunt tells me that for evil to triumph...." Susan started, then trailed off as Hermione grinned "You know the quote?"

"She quoted it to Dumbledore a year or so ago" Harry said with a laugh. 

"Great minds" Susan grinned.

"Fools" Hermione grinned back. Terry glanced between them, looking confused.

"Is this a muggle thing?" He asked after a moment, making Susan and Hermione laugh.

"More or less, yeah" Hermione said after a moment "No doubt Nessa or GW can explain it to you later" She paused "But now - now we should talk about Lucy's Army" 

"Are you going to stop it?" Cormac asked "Because we..... well - because we don't think you should" Terry, Hannah and Susan all nodded in agreement.

"If she catches you - any of you - you will be expelled" Hermione said quietly "The contract you signed means you won't be able to sell me out to protect yourselves"

"We know" Susan said "But from the people I've spoken to, we would rather be expelled than sell you out anyway" Hermione smiled.

"Even if we do continue, there is the problem of the brown-shirts" Luna pointed out "They'll be watching the seven of us, and anyone we've been remotely friendly with"

"Could The Room of Requirement help?" Terry asked "I mean - it's been protecting us and helping us so far - could it do more?" Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. 

"It's possible...." She looked around "Room? Can you show us a door?" She paused for a few moments, then sighed "Apparently you have to be in the room for it to hear you"

"Probably" Luna smiled "But maybe...." She raised her wand, whispered a few words, then smiled as a shining silver image of Hermione appeared in front of her. The image nodded, then shrunk in to a tiny ball of light and shot out through the nearest wall. 

"Lin?" Harry asked, but Luna held up her hand. 

"What...." Cormac started, then stopped as Sally appeared in front of them out of nowhere ".... the hell?"

"Greetings" Sally nodded, then turned to Luna "Are you sure you aren't secretly a seer? Or a Founder?"

"Drat" Luna snapped her fingers "You've found me out. I am actually Godric Gryffindor, and I've traveled forward a thousand years in to the future to aid you in your quest, and to take the secret of pepperoni and pineapple pizza back with me" She sighed "Ro-Ro told me you'd work it out" 

"Ro-Ro?" Hermione smirked.

"Trust me - compared to what we called Salazar, Ro-Ro is actually pretty good" Luna laughed, then she smiled "But - to get back to my original point - it seems the room can create invisible doors" 

"But what if someone else wanders in to one?" Cormac asked, looking at the point Sally had appeared. Sally gestured for him to walk through it. 

"Really?" Hermione asked, staring at the two girls in surprise.

"I know we regard The Founders as the greatest amongst us, but I don't think anyone - not even Dumbledore - realises just how great they actually were" Luna said in a slightly awed voice. Cormac watched the interchange, then he walked up to where the door should be and - with a last glance at Luna - took two steps forward.

"Are you sure the door is still there?" Susan asked when Cormac didn't vanish. Sally grinned, then she walked up behind Cormac, but vanished before she got there. A second later, she stuck her head back out.

"Pretty sure, yeah" She nodded.

"Do you have any idea how odd that looks?" Harry asked, frowning slightly. Sally laughed and nodded again "Okay - you have to stop that, cause it is freaking me out"

"Of course dear" Sally emerged from the door, then looked over at Hermione "We can set up a few of these doors around the school - even in the common rooms - whenever there is a meeting"

"Meaning we should be able to go to and from the meeting with Umbridge, Dumbledore and The SLP being non the wiser" Luna finished. Hermione stared at both of them, then grinned widely.

"Cormac, Sue, Hannah, Terry" She said, looking at each of them in turn "Talk to the others and let them know that if they want to continue with the Army, it will be my pleasure to teach them" The four of them nodded "Mr Finch and Galinda have come up with a way for us to communicate that doesn't involve talking to each other"

"So that we'll be less obvious?" Terry asked, and Hermione nodded, then looked at Sally.

"Each of you will get a charmed galleon that will alert you when there is a meeting, and where you can find a door" She explained "It will be lighter than a normal galleon, even though it will look the same, so you should be able to avoid spending it by accident" She paused "If you lose it, let one of us know as soon as possible, so that we can get you a replacement and deactivate the one you've lost"

"The existence of the galleon is covered by the spell, but the galleon itself won't be" Luna supplied at their confused looks "And even though they can't find their way in, we'd still rather not let them know when we are meeting" 

"Makes sense" Susan grinned, then she looked at the space where the door was "Can we use that to get back in? I mean - to save us passing the Willow again?"

"Of course - just give me a sec....." Sally vanished in to thin air, then reappeared five seconds later "Okay - you can all come through now"

xoxox

**DUMBLEDORE BREAKS PROMISE ON SCHOLARSHIPS**   
_Report by Eric Lovegood_

In a move that is sure to anger students and parents alike, Professor Albus Dumbledore - a man who is hailed as a paragon of truth, virtue and integrity - has broken the promise he made two years ago.

Two years ago, The House of Potter-Granger set up a two-tier scholarship program with the collaboration with Minister Fudge and Gringotts to reward the best performing students in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the time, Dumbledore consented to these scholarships, and agreed to let some of his staff consult with The House of Potter-Granger to ensure that students were rewarded on merit, rather than because of their station.

However it seems now that Dumbledore no longer has any desire to promote academic excellence or to reward those students that excel at his school. In an announcement that came as a great surprise to most of the wizard world, Dumbledore withdrew the support of his staff and the school, effectively ending the awarding of these scholarships.

Jennifer Potter-Granger, joint Director of EBH expressed her regret at Dumbledore's decision, saying that without the school's cooperation the scholarships would be difficult to award.

"While we could continue to award the academic proficiency scholarships, without proper advice we would be guessing who deserves the most" She said an an interview earlier today "This, no doubt, would leave us open to accusations of favoritism and bias and damage the credibility we have built up over the past two years"

When asked why she thought Dumbledore had ended his cooperation with EBH, Miss Potter-Granger declined to comment, however numerous rumours are circulating, including several that suggest the illustrious Headmaster of Hogwarts is being blackmailed by The Minister.

Whether these rumours are true or not, it is becoming clear that Dumbledore is apparently no longer dedicated to ensuring our children get the best education. 

xoxox

"Draco, Ron, Zach, Gregory" Umbridge smiled at the four students in front of her "As you know, this weekend is the last Hogsmeade trip before Christmas. The DMLE believes that You Know Who might use this opportunity to do some damage, so I want you to all be on alert" 

"Yes, Professor" They replied in unison.

"I also want you to keep an eye on Miss Potter-Granger and her friends" Umbridge continued "This will be the first time she has left the castle since the formation of that seditious company, and I believe the Granger girl will use it to get instructions from her parents as to how to further disrupt the school" She smiled "While I know you are not able to act against her parents, Miss Potter-Granger is still bound by school rules - rules you are able to enforce" 

"Yes, Professor" They replied again, but with wider smiles.

"Very well - you are dismissed" The four students filed out and Umbridge sat down behind her desk. As the door closed, she smiled to herself. 

"Miss Granger - you will rue the day"

xoxox

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione bounded down the main street in Hogsmeade, and threw herself in to her parents' arms. The other six friends followed, holding hands with their partners, at a slightly more sedate pace, but when Harry and Ginny reached Hermione, Jennifer and Sidney, they also got pulled in to a warm embrace.

"Hello my children" Jennifer said, smiling warmly "It feels like forever" 

"I know" Ginny sighed "But since you are so set on us getting a proper education...." She smirked "If you'd just let us be shiftless layabouts like I wanted to, you'd get to see us every day" Jennifer stuck her tongue out at her daughter, making Ginny laugh.

"We thought we'd go get a drink first" Sidney said "Then we thought we could break in to groups and do a bit of pre-Christmas shopping" He looked around to see everyone nodding "Augusta, Angelo and Eric will be here for lunch - since it is a full moon tomorrow, they are busy with the wolfsbane deliveries" 

"How's that going?" Blaise asked "Mum's last letter mentioned they were more or less prepared, but she didn't go in to too many details"

"She, along with Augusta, Angelo and Eric, have split in to two teams" Sidney explained "The first team - Lusysia and Eric - is at the shop, handing out the wolfsbane to whoever comes in for it" He smiled "The second team is doing a few deliveries around the country"

"Why?" Sally frowned "I mean.... why?"

"There are a few werewolves who are completely innocent, but have fallen foul of the somewhat..... restrictive laws The Ministry has enacted" Jennifer said quietly "They can't come to the shop, but we don't want them to risk then running wild simply because The Ministry is run by....." 

"Darling!" Sidney exclaimed, making Jennifer grin.

"Anyway - we are just making sure the people who need our help get it" She continued, then looked at Neville who was frowning as well "Nev?"

"What about the wolves who really have done something wrong? Greyback, McMillan, Cameron, Thorson and the rest?" He asked "Are we going to help them as well?"

"No" Jennifer shook her head "In fact, we asked Nymphadora and Talia if they'd mind keeping an eye on the shop, so that if any of the truly dark wolves turn up, they can be arrested and turned over to The DMLE as they deserve" She paused "I am truly sorry they are infected with this horrific disease, but they choose what to do after they were, and for that they must pay the piper" Neville nodded, smiling slightly.

"Is Daddy going to report on this?" Luna asked as the group turned and made their way towards The Three Broomsticks.

"On most of it yes - especially the part where we arranged to have the werewolves that are actually dangerous arrested" Jennifer said with a smile "Though, I have to admit, we're probably going to leave out the part where we are not turning in people we think are being unfairly persecuted by a gang of racist thugs" They walked in to the pub and took a table in the far corner.

"That sounds wise" Luna admitted with a smile, then she stood up "Okay - who wants a drink?"

xoxox

"They've just gone in to The Three Broomsticks" Draco said, glancing at Crabbe and Goyle "You two - come with me" He looked at the other three Slytherins who were with them "You three - keep on your patrol"

"Yes, Draco" Pansy nodded, and she, Tracey and Daphne walked off down the street. Draco turned and led Crabbe and Goyle in to The Three Broomsticks.

xoxox

Luna and Harry picked up the two trays from the bar and turned back to towards the table, but after a few steps, Luna stopped and nodded towards the front of the room. 

"Draco, yonder" Harry followed her gaze, and sighed.

"I suppose we should make sure we're playing by the rules" He replied, then they both walked back to the table "Guys - we have company" The others looked round as Draco, Crabbe and Goyle took the table next to them, arranging the seats so they could watch their table.

"Mr Finch? Could you do me a tiny favour?" Hermione asked quietly. 

"Kill them in the most horrible, bloody way I can imagine?" He replied with a smirk "Because if I can, I would definitely owe you one" Hermione smiled, but shook her head.

"Could you ask Madame Rosmerta to send a round of butter-beers to the three wise monkeys?" Blaise blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

"Nothing like the element of surprise to completely throw someone off their game" She replied with a grin "Plus I am fairly certain that buying a fellow student a drink is not against any rules" Blaise shrugged.

"Okay" He bounded to his feet and headed off towards the bar. Hermione turned back to her parents.

"So what else is new?" She asked "Oh - you said there was a report about Dumbledore and the scholarships?" Ginny snorted in amusement, making Hermione turn and look at her "Sis?"

"Sorry" Ginny shook her head, still smirking "But the way you said it sounds like an A Capella group from one of the universities" Hermione stared at her for a moment, then turned back to her parents.

"So - you were saying?" Jennifer laughed, then pulled a copy of The Quibbler out of her bag. 

"The report's on the third page" She said, holding it out, but Hermione shook her head.

"The good Professor Umbridge says we're not allowed to have copies, and since we are all good little boys and girls, we wouldn't want to do anything to defy our Defence Professor, would we?" She said innocently. The other six students shook their heads in an equally innocent manner, making Sidney laugh.

"Very well" Jennifer opened the paper, turned to the third page and began to read.

xoxox

"Drinks, courtesy of The House of Potter-Granger" Rosmerta put the tray down in front of Draco. He stared at them.

"Are they poisoned?" He asked, then winced as Rosmerta smacked him across the back of the head.

"Miss Potter-Granger is being nice, Mr Malfoy - the least you can do is say thank you" She folded her arms, waiting for him to respond.

"I will thank her later" Malfoy said quietly, then he glanced over to the other table and got to his feet "If you'll excuse me a second" Rosmerta rolled her eyes, then walked off to see to other customers, while Draco stopped in front of Hermione.

"Well - Granger, looks like you're in trouble" He said with a wide smile "You know the rules about this rag" He waved at the paper "Looks like detention for you"

"Excuse me?" Jennifer turned to stare at the young Slytherin. Malfoy looked at her with a slight sneer.

"Professor Umbridge has banned any Hogwarts' student from having a copy of The Quibbler" He said condescendingly "Your daughter...."

"Is not holding a copy of The Quibbler" Jennifer said in a firm tone "Nor are any of the other students" She leaned forward "Or are you suggesting that I am subject to your Professor's rules, Mr Malfoy?" Draco stared back at her.

"Your daughter - all these losers - are troublemakers, and they'll get what's coming to them" He said, then turned and stalked away. 

"Is he always like this?" She asked as he walked away. 

"Pretty much" Hermione nodded "But honestly, I've learned to mostly tune him out" She looked over to where Draco was talking with Crabbe and Goyle "He's a child - always thinking his daddy will come and save him and that he is going to rule the world one day" She sighed "He'll never grow up unless he's forced to, and with Voldemort dead, there's nothing left that can make him" 

"You pity him?" Sidney asked. Hermione paused, then shrugged.

"I'm sure if I actually cared I would, but like I said - I've learned to mostly tune him out" 

xoxox

Two hours later, the group walked out of The Three Broomsticks in to the gray light of the cloudy day.

"So - Christmas shopping?" Hermione asked, looking around. 

"Sounds fun!" Eric and Angelo walked up to the group, with Augusta following behind them. 

"Daddy!" Luna threw her arms around her father, hugging him tightly "How did it go?" Eric glanced at Jennifer and Sidney, and they both nodded.

"It all went very well. We pretty much sold out of wolfsbane, but we made sure everyone who needed it go it" He grinned "Including the few who couldn't come to the shop" 

"Did you get anyone?" Luna asked, bouncing on her heels. 

"Sadly, no - it seems that they either figured out what might happen, or they don't care if they are wild or not" Eric sighed "And my guess would be the second" Luna hugged him again, and he stroked her hair "But, as someone once pointed out, we can't save everyone, and the good we have done today greatly outweighs the negative side" 

"Very true" Sidney grinned "I take it one of your reporters will be writing the story?" Eric nodded.

"Part of the contract I signed with EBH means I can't report my own good deeds - I have to maintain some level of independence and disinterest - so to speak" 

"I look forward to the story" Sidney replied, then he looked at every one else "Okay - I suggest we split up in to groups of three or four, and occasionally meet up to swap the groups around" He pulled out a piece of paper "Any objections?"

xoxox

Later that night, Hermione was finishing her pudding when she felt someone walk up behind her. 

"Professor McGonagall - what can I do for you this fine evening?" She asked without turning round. 

"You can start by never calling me that again" An amused voice said. Hermione span round and blushed to find Professor Sprout stood behind her.

"My apologies, Professor" She said, still blushing slightly "How may I help you?" 

"The Headmaster has asked me to find out if you are staying in the castle over Christmas" Sprout said, smiling slightly "He seemed very interested in your reply"

"No doubt he has an opinion as what my reply should be?" Hermione asked with a smirk.

"You are wise beyond your years, Miss Potter-Granger" Sprout replied with a laugh "The Headmaster believes that you, your friends and most especially your brother would benefit from remaining within the castle over the holidays"

"Let me guess - he thinks if we return home, we'll be attacked by Death Eaters and Farm Boy will be taken to Voldemort where his head will be ripped off and used as a table ornament" Sprout laughed loudly.

"That's exactly what he said - word for word" She nodded, still smiling.

"You can inform his most glorious Headmasterness that I, my friends and most especially my brother will be going home for Christmas" Hermione said with a smile "And while this might not be something you want to tell him, I think that the seven of us will be a lot safer away from Draco, Ron, Zach and the rest of the brown-shirts than we will if we stay here"

"Brown...." Sprout waved her hand "I can look it up later" She made a note on the parchment in front of her "I will inform the Headmaster of your decision"

"Our decision, Professor" Hermione corrected her "While it might appear that I am in charge, we work as a group and make our choices as a group" She paused "If you could make THAT clear to Dumbledore, I would be most appreciative"

xoxox

The next three weeks passed relatively quietly, and before they knew it, The Chosen found themselves on The Express, heading home for Christmas.

"....and those who thought this joke was about binary" Luna said. Hermione, Blaise and Sally laughed, Harry rolled his eyes while Ginny and Neville frowned "Wow - better reaction than I expected" 

"What's....." Ginny started, then she trailed off, her face going pale.

"Nis?" Hermione jumped up then knelt down beside her. Ginny raised her hand and pointed out the window. They all turned, and Hermione sighed.

"I knew it was too good to be true" She said, getting up and walking over to the window. 

"Is he going to come after us?" Sally asked from behind her.

"I don't know" Hermione replied without turning around "But I guess we'll find out soon enough" She heard Harry stand up and walk up beside her. A moment later, he slipped her hand in to his.

"Strength through unity" He said softly.

"Unity through faith" She replied, then she raised her other hand and waved the figure on the bank. To her complete lack of surprise, The Clown did not wave back.


	19. Year 5 - A Lesson From History

Augusta smiled as Ginny bounded out of the room, then turned back to Jennifer and Daniel.

"Is she always so.... peppy?" She asked in an amused tone.

"Pretty much" Jennifer replied "And trust me, this is a vast improvement on how she was when she first arrived" She stared at the door "She and Harry both" Augusta looked at her curiously, making Jennifer sigh.

"Both their previous families were....." She started, then shrugged "Well - I'm trying to find a polite word, but the only one I am coming up with is bastards" She turned to Augusta "I know that Min told you the basics about how they came to join our family, and I know that you, and the others, have been curious about the full story....." She shook her head "Trust me - you're better off not knowing, and as today is Christmas Eve, I'd really rather talk about something else" Daniel and Augusta nodded in unison.

"How about your daughter's star turn at Midnight Mass?" Daniel asked. Jennifer beamed.

"She has been practicing for two months straight" She grinned "She is very proud of the fact that Father Damian is letting her sing the first song of the service even after she has missed so many services during the year"

"Father..... Damian?" Daniel raised his eyebrows in amusement "Seriously?" Jennifer blinked in surprise.

"You've heard of The Omen?" She asked, still looking surprised "Really?"

"Our friends....." He started, then sighed "Before last Christmas, our neighbours and friends were muggles. They didn't know who we really were, and every so often we had movie nights" 

"That's where Sally picked up her fear from?"

"Pretty much, yeah" He nodded "If I'd known...."

"Then she would have just gained a fear from somewhere else" Augusta said quietly "This..... this thing, whatever it is, works on your deepest, most primal fear. If your daughter hadn't seen the alien, she would have seen something else" Daniel nodded in acceptance "Can I ask you two a question?" 

"What do we see?" Daniel glanced at Jennifer "I don't know" 

"You've never seen IT?" Augusta looked at each of them "Neither of you?"

"IT wants our children" Jennifer said plainly "Oh - don't get me wrong - if IT thought for a moment that killing us would help, IT would do it in an instant" 

"But our children have protected us - made sure that we can't be got to" Daniel continued "The Goblin wards around this place - around all our houses - are enough to keep us safe" 

"For how long?" 

"Until this is over" Jennifer said calmly "One way or the other" 

"How can you be so calm?" Augusta demanded "You're talking about our children dying as if it were a day at the park" Jennifer looked at her sympathetically.

"Hermione is going to fight this creature" She said softly "I could forbid her, but even if I wanted to, I am fairly sure she would ignore me and go any way" She smiled "And your grandson, and your daughter, along with the other four, will follow her" She looked at them in resignation "IT kills children, Augusta - muggle, magical, babies, teenagers. IT kills them and eats them" She paused "You know your grandson - is there any way he would walk away and leave this monster to kill?" She glanced at Daniel "Would Sally?" They both shook their heads.

"They are going to fight, and since we can't stop them, I plan to give them all the support I can" 

xoxox

"We're leaving in about half an hour" Harry dropped down on to the bed next to Luna "The service is usually around an hour or so, so we should be back just after midnight" 

"Okay" Luna looked up from her book "Just the five of you?"

"Six, with Viktor" He paused, then smiled "Unless you'd like to come as well" Luna smiled, then sat up and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you, but I think that coming might be considered a little.... sacrilegious" Harry smiled.

"Perhaps" He glanced down at the book "Rainbow?"

"Rilla" Luna held up the copy of _Rilla of Ingleside_ she was reading.

"That's the third time?"

"Fourth" Luna admitted "It's my...." She paused, then shrugged "It's like a security blanket" She laughed at the expression on her boyfriend's face "Yeah, I know - it's odd" She leaned back against the headboard, resting the book on her lap.

"Just like Rilla and her family, we're all in a war" She said after a moment "Some of us are fighting it, and some of us..... some of us also serve" 

"Those who stand and wait" 

"Yeah" Luna tapped the book "In Rilla's world, it was her, her sisters and her parents" She looked up at him "In ours, it's just our parents" She smiled softly "I much prefer our world to Rilla's" 

"Me too" Harry admitted.

"So reading this reminds me that it could be worse" She picked up the book again "And it reminds me that everything works out in the end" She flicked through the pages "She loses her childhood, her friends, her family but she comes out of it a better person, and full of hope and determination to make the world a better place" 

"Wow" 

"Of course, Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote this before World War Two broke out, the unbridled optimism that the First World War would result in the golden age of humanity does seem a tad.... foolish in hindsight" She sighed "But that doesn't stop it being one of the best books I've read" Harry leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"Perhaps I should try it" He said with a fond smile.

"Bring your tissues" Luna smiled "Especially for Dog Monday" Harry looked at her curiously "Spoilers"

"Yes dear" He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled some clothes out "I'll be back before we leave" Luna smiled and nodded "Enjoy Rilla"

xoxox

"Nervous?" Viktor walked up behind Hermione and slipped his arms around her.

"Maybe a little" She smiled, resting her head against his shoulder "Singing the first solo of the night? Somewhat nerve-wracking" She slipped out of his arms then turned to face him "But then I remember I have a wonderful boyfriend who adores me, parents that love me, siblings that would do anything for me, and an alien space clown that wants to hack my head off and use it as a football in the next game between Saturn High and Venus Sixth Form" Viktor laughed.

"Well - when you put it like that....." He kissed her softly "I can see why this might not be so frightening" He paused, then smiled "And Pennywise can not have your head, my dear - I have plans for it"

"Oh yes?" An amused voice came from the door. Hermione looked round, the blushed.

"How long have you been stood there Bex?" She asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Long enough to know that Viktor wants to do something with your head" Sally smirked "Which - since he is a Durmstrang student could mean absolutely anything from voodoo to hairdressing" 

"Pah!" Viktor waved his hand dismissively "As if Durmstrang students would ever get involved in voodoo!" Sally laughed.

"Snidge - your mother was looking for you" Hermione glanced at her watch.

"Yeah - it's pretty much time to go" She turned back to Viktor and held out her arm "Ready?"

"Ready" He nodded, then looked at Sally "Are you coming?"

"Thank you, but no - I am going to the library to do some reading" They both stared at her, making her laugh "I know - reading on Christmas Eve. But Dad said some of the Black Shelves have been de-dangeroused, and I thought I'd get started on them"

"Really?" Hermione asked, eyes alight with interest. Sally laughed.

"You have to go and perform your solo, Miss Snidge" Hermione sighed.

"Bugger" She looked at Sally "Promise you won't read all the books before I get back?"

"I promise" Sally laughed, then waved her hand "Now go - bring joy to the world"

"Yes, boss" Hermione took Viktor's hand and they walked out of the room, leaving Sally staring fondly behind them.

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, Hermione stared out from the pulpit, and silently contemplated the idea that having her head ripped off and used in a game of interplanetary football might not be such a bad thing.

A moment later, she saw two candle flames at the back of the church, and realised it was time.

She lifted up her eyes, and began to sing.

xoxox

Sally leaned back in her seat and looked at the first book in the pile.

"Do I really want to spend the night before Christmas reading a book called 'The Minds I'?" She asked herself "And more to the point, what kind of title is that?"

xoxox

_Rilla, the Piper will pipe me 'west' tomorrow. I feel sure of this. And Rilla, I'm not afraid. When you hear the news, remember that. I've won my own freedom here - freedom from all fear._

xoxox

"AND HE LEADS HIS CHILDREN ON! TO THE PLACE WHERE HE IS GONE!" The music came to an end, and Hermione let out a long, slow breath. 

The lights - darkened for the candlelight procession - had been turned on again, and in the fifth pew back she could see Viktor and her family looking very proud indeed.

She walked down from the pulpit and over to join the rest of the choir, smiling as she went.

xoxox

_The thing that most people do not realise is that the mind is a very flexible thing. It can be twisted, it can be bent and - if the mage is so inclined - it can be broken._

_But it also means that it can be trained - trained in to ways of thinking, ways of acting. And - because human beings are (more or less) the same the world over - it can be united with other minds, if the mage is so inclined._

xoxox

_But whether it's life or death, I'm not afraid, Rilla-my-Rilla, and I am not sorry that I came. I'm satisfied. I'll never write the poems I once dreamed of writing - but I've helped to make Canada safe for the poets of the future - for the workers of the future - ay, and the dreamers too - for if no man dreams, there will be nothing for the workers to fulfill_

xoxox

"And now, if you would rise, and come forth to receive holy communion" Father Damian smiled, and watched as the two sidesmen walked down the sides of the church, pew by pew, ushering everyone to come forward.

Jennifer turned to Harry and Ginny.

"Are you sure?" She asked. They both nodded "Very well" She and Sidney stood up, and walked down to the front. As they did, Hermione came out of the choir seats and stood in between them. 

"Have you given any thought to it?" Harry asked Ginny as the rest of their family walked towards the alter rail.

"I don't know" Ginny admitted "I mean - I understand the idea behind it, but....." She trailed off, staring as Father Damian held out a piece of wafer, and the woman kneeling in front of him took it.

"But what?" Harry asked, but Ginny didn't reply. 

xoxox

_Although the animus-amplifier is a powerful spell, it is not without its innate weaknesses._

_Combining the minds-power of multiple mages will allow you to enforce your will, but it will also increase your susceptibility to threats to your mind. The weakness of one becomes the weakness of all, and the more minds you combine, the more weaknesses you inherit._

xoxox

_It isn't only the face of the little sea-born island I love that is in the balance - nor of Canada nor of England. It's the fate of mankind. That is what we're fighting for. And we shall win - never doubt that for a moment, Rilla. For it isn't only the living who are fighting...._

"The dead are fighting too, and such an army can never be defeated" Luna whispered to herself. She lowered the book on to her lap.

"An army of the dead...."

xoxox

_"But what?" Harry asked, but Ginny didn't reply._

She was lost in a memory - a vision of Hermione telling them about her meeting with The Jester.

_"Tell me something - is this all in my mind, or is it real?" As she opened her eyes to find herself alone in Slytherin's study, she heard the figure's final words echo through her thoughts._

_"Of course it is all in your mind, but what on earth makes you think that doesn't make it real?"_

Ginny stared at the front of the church, where Hermione was just taking a sip from the cup of wine presented to her.

"Drink this, as the blood of our...."

"Holy crap!" Ginny exclaimed. A moment later, she realised that the entire church was now staring at her, including Father Damian, her parents and Hermione. She glanced at Harry only to find him staring at her with the same look of surprise and shock.

xoxox

Luna bounded in to the library, Neville and Blaise behind her and skidded to a halt in front of Sally.

"I know how we can win this war" Luna said, then let out an exclamation out of surprise as she realised Sally had said exactly the same thing. Neville and Blaise exchanged amused grins.

"We know the smartest girls" Blaise said with grin "So, love, what do you know?" Sally picked up the book she had been reading, and handed it to her boyfriend "The Minds I?"

"It's one of the books my Dad got checked and released" She said as he flicked through it "It's about mind magic" She held her hand out, and Blaise gave the book back "There is a specific section that deals with how to amplify the power of your mind, and even combine the power of your mind with someone else"

"Sounds...... fun" Neville said hesitantly. Sally rolled her eyes.

"Snidge has one of the strongest minds I know, and the rest of us are no slouches" She said with a smile "And IT seems to work on our fears - on our minds" She paused "I thought that if we amplified our power, we could fight it better" Neville and Blaise nodded, while Luna smiled "So - what was your way GW?"

"We use the dead" Luna replied, then smirked as her three friends all stared at her in confusion.

xoxox

"And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding and endureth forever, go with you" Father Damian smiled "Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord" He paused and looked over to where the Potter-Grangers and Viktor were sat and smiled "In whichever way you feel is suitable" Ginny flushed and hid her face behind Harry's shoulder, making him laugh.

The congregation started to leave, and Hermione bounded down from the choir area and over to her family. She threw her arms around Viktor and kissed him, then she turned to her family.

"Merry Christmas" She beamed widely, then she hugged them in turn. When she got to Ginny, she grinned "And you, my sister, I hope you had fun tonight?" She paused "Wow - I didn't think you could go any more red, but apparently...." 

"Hermione" Her father said softly, and Hermione nodded.

"Sorry, Nis - that wasn't nice" She said apologetically. Ginny, still blushing, smiled back.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione" She pulled her sister in to a hug, then suddenly stiffened up. 

"Nis?" Hermione straightened up, pushing her away slightly "What's wrong?"

"I believe she is somewhat worried about my reaction" The deep voice of Father Damian came from behind her, making Hermione turn on the spot "You did very well this evening, Minnie - you sang beautifully"

"Thank you, Father" Hermione blushed bashfully. Damian smiled, then turned to Ginny.

"I'm sorry, young lady, but I am afraid I can't remember your name" 

"Ginny Potter-Granger, Father" She replied quietly.

"Ginny" He held out his hand, and she shook it "I take it your..... comment earlier was something of an epiphany?" Ginny glanced at Hermione, then nodded.

"Yes, Father" 

"Was it important?" 

"Possibly the most important thing I have realised in a while"

"Good" He nodded, smiling at her "Have a very happy Christmas, young lady, and I hope you can put your thoughts to good use" Ginny blushed, then - impulsively - darted forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Father" She said. Damian blushed, then turned to Jennifer and Sidney.

"Merry Christmas" He said, nodding politely "To you, and your whole, extended family" He smiled, then turned to talk to another group. Jennifer turned to her family.

"Shall we?"

xoxox

"An army of the dead?" Sally asked doubtfully "You want to launch a horde of infiri against Pennywise?" 

"Yes, that's exactly what I want to do" Luna nodded seriously "And then, we'll use them to take over The Ministry and Hogwarts and The Daily Prophet" 

"Why The Prophet?" 

"Because it means The Quibbler will be unchallenged as the dominant newspaper in the UK" Luna grinned "I mean - I am all for self-sacrifice and doing the right thing, but why can't I make a profit out of it?" She looked at the three of them, then laughed "So I still need to work on my sense of humour, huh?"

"Maybe a little" Neville nodded.

"But no - I wasn't thinking of unleashing an army of zombies on IT" She paused "I'm not sure they would do any good anyway" She shook her head "No - I was thinking along the same lines as Bex, just in a different direction"

"Oh yes?" 

"With the exception of Snidge, we all come from magically powerful families" Luna explained "If we could call upon their magic - if we could amplify our power with theirs - then we might have enough to deal with The Clown" She looked at them hopefully "So - am I loony?"

xoxox

"So what was your epiphany?" Hermione asked as they were driving home. Ginny went slightly pink.

"It's kind of hard to explain" She said.

"Just start at the very beginning" Viktor suggested.

"I'm told it's a very good place to start" Sidney said from the front of the car.

"Dad!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sorry - force of habit" She saw his grin reflected in the mirror.

"Well - it started when I was watching you take communion" Ginny continued, smiling slightly at the antics of her family "I remember asking Snidge about this before - why a wafer and some wine can be so important, and she said that you believe in what it symbolizes" 

"Transubstantiation" Jennifer supplied.

"Yes" Ginny nodded "You believe it to be true, so - in your mind - it becomes true" She glanced at Hermione "Do you remember your last meeting with The Jester?"

"Yes" Hermione replied.

"And do you remember the last thing he said to you?" Ginny leaned forward, looking at her intently.

"That...." Hermione started, then trailed off, looking at Ginny with awe. Ginny smiled back at her.

"He said that just because the meeting was happening in Snidge's mind didn't mean it wasn't actually real" Ginny continued. 

"And when you saw the communion...." Jennifer started, not taking her eyes off the road.

"It suddenly occurred to me that we might have the power to turn our thoughts in to reality" Ginny nodded "I admit - the realisation struck me so hard, I couldn't stop my initial reaction" 

"We noticed" Viktor smirked, then winced as Hermione slapped him on the arm "Sorry"

"But what about the others? And, come to think of it, what about you two?" Sidney asked "I know you come to church with us, but I never really got the idea you shared our faith. And I am pretty sure the other four don't share it either"

"It's not about your faith" Ginny said "It's about what we believe" She paused "Imagine..... imagine one of us was deathly afraid of werewolves, and so when we see The Clown, that's what it became" Sidney nodded, and Ginny fished a coin out of her pocket "This is a sickle. It's made out of silver" She held it up.

"For all we know, The Clown is not affected by silver, so throwing this at IT would do no good" She smiled "But if IT's in the form of a werewolf, then what if the same power that binds us to being afraid of IT also binds IT to take the form IT's in?" 

"So while it is in werewolf form, silver would kill it?" Hermione asked, and Ginny nodded "That's.... genius"

"I know" Ginny grinned "But there's something else - something Luna mentioned a while back - the day after her birthday party" Hermione stared at her for a moment, then her eyes went wide.

"Holy crap!" She exclaimed, making her parents laugh.

"What?" Harry asked.

"The swords" Hermione said as Ginny nodded "I presented each of you with a replica of a mythical sword - one that, in the past, had been used to vanquish evil of various kinds" 

"So you're saying if you believe that your sword is not just a replica, but is the actual Vorpal Sword of legend, it will have the power to kill this thing?" Jennifer said, awe in her voice.

"Faith gives us unity, and unity gives us strength" Ginny nodded "And it's not faith in God, but faith in ourselves, and faith in the world we inhabit" She took Hermione's hand "Faith in our protector" Hermione smiled.

"We have to do some experiments - try some of this out" She said "And we have to tell the others" She grinned "I think this will probably make their day"

"At the very least, it will be one heck of a surprise" Viktor smirked.

xoxox

"We know how to win the war" Luna and Sally said in unison as Hermione and the others walked in to Grimmauld Place. Hermione stared at them for a moment, then looked at her boyfriend.

"Well - so much for the surprise"

xoxox

"So you want to bring back the spirits of your departed ancestors?" Hermione asked. After the initial greeting in the library, she had arranged for everyone to meet up in the front room and it was now packed to the rafters.

"I do" Luna nodded. 

"What about me?" Hermione asked, glancing at her parents "And - come to think about it, what about Mr Finch and Nissa?" She looked at Blaise "No offence intended, but isn't most of your family tree somewhat..... dark?"

"True" Blaise admitted "Maybe calling them back might not be such a good idea"

"And given the split in the Weasleys, I don't know if the people I call back would be on my side or not" Ginny added "They might turn on me the moment they appear"

"So we can't do this?" Luna asked, her face falling. Hermione looked at her, then tilted her head to one side.

"What if....." She started, looking thoughtful, but then trailed off. After a few moments of continuing silence, Eric waved her hand in front of Hermione's eyes.

"Min?" Hermione blinked, then looked at him.

"Sorry" She blushed "I guess I finished the sentence in my head, didn't I?" Eric nodded "Sorry - I do that sometimes" She looked around "What I was thinking is what if we don't chose our families, but instead call back IT's victims" She looked around the room "I admit, I haven't fully thought this through, but I'm sure that James, Colin, Lockhart - maybe even Peter and Tom would be highly motivated to find a way to kill this creature"

"Tom?" Angelo asked. Hermione turned to him.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle" She pulled out her wand and conjured the letters in the air "Also known as...." She twisted her wand, and the letters slowly re-arranged themselves.

"You are going to summon You Know Who to deal with The Clown?" Lusysia exclaimed "Are you mad?"

"Mother!" Blaise turned to face his parents. His mother blushed slightly.

"Sorry" She turned to Hermione "I apologise, Hermione - that was uncalled for. I should have learned by now to have faith in you" Hermione smiled.

"Don't worry about it - I'm sure before this is done, I will have everyone doubting my sanity"

"But you haven't answered my question" Lusysia continued.

"No, I am not mad" Hermione said in a deadpan voice, making everyone laugh.

"You want to use the most feared Dark Lord in a generation to kill this creature?" Lusysia said calmly "How are you going to convince him?" Hermione looked over at Ginny, who bit her lip. 

"I know it's hard" Hermione said softly "But I think they need to know" Ginny paused, then nodded "Thank you" Ginny smiled, and Hermione turned back to the room.

"Some of you will know this already, and some of you will have heard parts of it" She said "It goes back to the start of Ginny and Luna's first year at Hogwarts....."

xoxox

"....which is when she fled and came to live with us" Hermione finished the story, then looked around at the various expressions on people's faces "I know he wouldn't help us then, and maybe he won't help us now, but if we can summon his ghost in the right way, we can make sure that even if he won't help us, he can't harm us" She fell silent, waiting for a reaction. When, after a minute, no one spoke, she smiled.

"So, Lusysia, it seems you're right" She paused "I am mad" She looked around "Look - I know this sounds crazy, and if necessary we can leave Tommy boy out of it, but I think GW's idea is basically sound, and, if we combine it with Bex's mind magic and Nissa's theory that we can make things real using the power of our minds...." She grinned "I think we can do it. I really think we can win" She looked around again, then clapped her hands together.

"Okay - it's late, and you all appear to have turned in to statues, so I am going to bed" She bounded to her feet and walked over to the door. Then she turned back with a slight smirk "I know it sounds mad, but I'm sure I am right. With the power of three, we can win in this fight. But if you look out the window, it's now almost light, so Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" She pulled the door open and walked out, closing it behind her.

"I've always wanted to do that!"


	20. Year 5 - Swords And Sorcery

"This?" Sally said, looking around The White Room "This is where we are going to train?" Hermione smiled.

"What? You were expecting The Spanish Inquisition?" She smirked, then her smile faded when Sally didn't respond "This is why we can't use the Ritual of Chud - if you don't get my jokes, what hope is there that an alien space clown will?" 

"That was a joke?" Sally asked looking confused. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Never mind" She gestured to the scenario she had created "We know that IT lives underground, and based on what we've seen in The Clubhouse, there are any number of caves under the castle and Hogsmeade" Sally looked at the various tunnels leading off.

"And what can we expect to find?" She asked after a moment. Hermione smirked.

"Here's the thing - I don't know" She said with another grin "I asked this place to generate a series of random caves, but then Mum, Eric, Daniel and Lusysia to fill it with creatures" 

"So there could be anything in here?" Sally took a step back, still staring at the tunnel entrances. 

"Pretty much" Hermione grinned "Should be fun!" Sally stared at her with a slightly worried look.

"I'm starting to think Blaise's mother was right"

xoxox

Dumbledore stalked in to McGonagall's office, slamming the door behind him. McGonagall looked up, and resisted the urge to smile.

When Albus had told her that he was going to locate Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, she had had her doubts that he could do it. While she didn't doubt he was the most powerful and most skilled mage in the country, she also knew that the seat of The House of Black was protected by the most powerful Goblin wards available.

She also had a feeling that it wasn't just the Regent and Heir to The House of Black who were staying there for the holidays. From the various things she'd seen and heard, she was more or less certain that the whole of The Study Group, along with the families, were now living under one roof.

Which meant that the Goblin wards were not just protecting the heir of one Old Family, but the heirs of three of them, plus another two major families.

"No luck?" She asked, trying not to smile. 

"I have been to that house, Minerva. I know it is there, and I know where it should be" He slammed himself down in to the chair in front of her "But now - now it is gone. The street runs from Number One to Number Twenty, but there is no Number Twelve" 

"It is warded by Goblin magic, Albus - what were you expecting?" She asked in a kind voice "The warders of Gringotts are the best in the country, if not the world. Did you really think they would leave any gap?"

"But it's not enough" He snapped "Lord Voldemort has explored more dark and dangerous magic than anyone, and I have no doubt he can break any wards they have set up"

"Miss Potter-Granger doesn't believe he has returned" McGonagall pointed out "And so far he doesn't seem to have made any moves to forward his agenda" 

"He is building up his strength" Dumbledore retorted "Just like he did the last time. Already his Death Eaters are making in roads in to The Ministry - Umbridge's unsubtle blackmail over the scholarship issue was just the first step"

"You think Scrimgeour....." McGonagall trailed off "Rufus is a good man - he would never join You Know Who"

"As Miss Granger so helpfully pointed out, evil can triumph if no one does anything to oppose it" Dumbledore said "Despite his apparent victory over myself, Minister Scrimgeour is not secure enough in his position enough to challenge the Death Eaters in The Ministry" He leaned forward "They will continue to carry out Lord Voldemort's wishes and act on his behalf, undermining everything we do to oppose him" 

"And you believe that Mr Potter-Granger could prevent this?" She looked at him sceptically. 

"Mr Potter-Granger controls one of the most powerful Houses in The Wiznegamot" He said firmly "And with his friends he has three more powerful Houses at his command" He shook his head sadly "If he was willing to work with me, we could end this war in a decisive manner and make sure that the immediate aftermath falls out the way it should" He sighed "But while he continues to listen to his muggle guardians and that.... sister of his, he is never going to realise what has to be done" McGonagall stared at him for a long while.

"Albus, it is about time you face the facts" She said softly "You have been trying to force Mr Potter-Granger to work with you, and every single attempt has failed. While there was no real threat, it wasn't a serious problem" She paused, but he gave no sign of reaction "But now The Dark Lord has returned, and we are all in mortal peril"

"I am aware of that....."

"I wasn't finished" She interrupted. He stared at her, then nodded "Thank you" She paused for a moment, then continued.

"Mr Potter-Granger is not going to bend to your will, Albus. Not today, not tomorrow" She leaned forward "Perhaps it is time to change your strategy" 

"I have tried any number of ways to make him...."

"That is my point, Albus" She said firmly, then took a deep breath "You have tried to make him work with you, and that hasn't worked. Maybe now you should try offering to work with him"

xoxox

Hermione looked at the six people assembled in front of her, and smiled.

"Okay - this is the first of what might be a long number of...... well - of war games, for want of a better phrase" She gestured to the three tunnels behind her "There are three jewels in the caves behind us. We have to find them and bring them back here - all of them at the same time" She waved to the alcove in the corner "Our progress will be monitored by a team of observers and while we aren't exactly doing this to get a good score, they will be able to provide an independent and unbiased view of how we did"

"There is something you aren't telling us, Snidge" Blaise said with a smile.

"Since we are incapable of recreating a virtual version of IT, the caves have been filled with some of the more interesting creatures in both the magical and muggle worlds" Hermione said, provoking a few interesting responses "I don't know what the creatures actually are, but I am assured we have a fighting chance against all of them, and that - for want of a better phrase - the holodeck safeties are on" Harry, Ginny and Luna nodded, while the others look at her curiously "They will hurt slightly, but they won't kill you"

"Swell" Sally said with a smile.

"Hey - if there's no risk, then the rewards will be less" Hermione paused "Plus - in the real world...."

"We get it" Sally said, making Hermione nod.

"Okay. Do you all have your swords?" She looked them over, and they nodded "And your wands?" They all nodded again "Okay then" She turned to the alcove "We are ready when you are"

"Then get ready" Jennifer's voice came back from all around them "The rules are simple - you get the jewels, you come back - don't come back without all three of them" There was a pause "You can work as one team or as many, and you can use swords and wands as you see fit" There was another pause "The campaign starts at the sound of the buzzer in one minute"

xoxox

"Draco - could you come in here a moment?" Draco turned at the door of his father's study, then slowly walked in to it.

"Yes, father?" Lucius gestured to the seat opposite him.

"Take a seat" Lucius said quietly but firmly. Draco sat down and turned to face his father "I understand you have become involved in The Ministry?"

"Yes, father" Draco nodded "Professor Umbridge asked for volunteers to join The Student Loyalty Patrol, and I felt it was my duty"

"You felt it was your duty?" Lucius repeated "To tie your fortunes to a newly installed Minister? One whose future is uncertain?"

"It was a chance to get at Potter and the mudblood" Draco said sulkily "Professor Umbridge was insistent that we keep an eye on them - specifically them"

"Why?"

"They are a threat to our society, father - they are going to use the money that should rightfully be ours to destroy everything that good and decent people stand for" Lucius raised a single eyebrow quizzically, and Draco blushed "At least that's what Professor Umbridge said"

"I am sure she did" Lucius leaned forward, interlacing his fingers in front of him "I am only going to say this once, Draco, so I expect you to listen to me" 

"Yes, father"

"While I understand your desire to ensure our world continues the way it is, and I even applaud the steps you have taken to protect our way of life, I am not happy that you have tied yourself to Minister Scrimgeour and his lackey without asking my advice first"

"Yes, father" 

"I have heard rumours that that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore is going to try to regain his position - something I believe he would only be able to do at the expense of our new Minister" Lucius continued "And I hope I do not need to point out that if Minister Scrimgeour falls, and you are associated with him, it will reflect badly on you"

"Yes, father"

"And I am sure you aware that anything that reflects badly on you reflects badly on your family and on our section of society in general" 

"Yes, father" 

"So - do you intend to continue your association with this group?" Lucius asked.

xoxox

"Xy, Bex - on the left. GW, Nis - take the right" Hermione called out as they approached another junction in the cave passage "Fin, FB - watch our backs"

"Yes boss" They all replied. Hermione smiled and pulled her sword out of her belt. She stared at it for a moment, then shrugged.

"How am I supposed to tell if it changes?" She asked herself. She looked up as the two groups reached the junction and carefully peered round the corners.

xoxox

"You sure?" Jennifer asked, and Sidney nodded "Okay then"

xoxox

"Boss - incoming" Luna and Sally called out at the same time. Hermione's head flicked up, then she glanced at Blaise and Harry.

"Anything?" She asked, and they both shook their heads "Okay - keep watch" She turned back "What do you have?"

"Not sure yet" Luna said, peering down the tunnel "A light spell might help....."

"Might also attract some attention" Harry said, not taking his eyes off the tunnel they had come from.

"Do it" Hermione said "If we don't know what we're fighting....."

"LUMOUS!" Luna and Sally called in unison. The tunnels lit up, and Sally let out a surprised exclamation.

"Bex?" Hermione prompted "What is it?"

"Orcs. Looks like hundreds of them. About two minutes away"

"Same here" Luna added.

"Still empty back here" Blaise called out.

"Okay" Hermione looked around "We're backing up a bit - make it harder for them to come at us all at once. Bex, Finch - cover us until we get in place"

"Yes boss"

"GW, Nissa - take the back. Make sure they aren't going to sneak up on us" 

"Yes boss"

"The rest of you - a line in the middle. Once Bex and Finch arrive, start with long range spells to thin the crowd" She paused as Harry and Neville lined up on either side of her "Any spells you wish - the brutaller the better" 

"Yes boss" Hermione took a deep breath, then raised her wand. A moment later, Neville and Harry echoed her movement.

xoxox

"She's good" Augusta said. Jennifer nodded, not taking her eyes off the image in front of her. Sidney slid his hand in to hers.

"I know this is hard - watching her become a soldier...." She squeezed his hand, not looking up.

"She'll be fine" She said softly "She has her friends"

xoxox

"REDUCTO!"   
"INCENDIO!"  
"FLIPPENDO!"

The tunnel lit up with spell-fire - all five mages throwing spell after spell.

"Nis? GW?"

"Still clear" Ginny called back "You don't need any help?"

"REDUCTO! No - stay watching, and let us know if you see anything"

"Yes boss"

xoxox

"Not bad" Eric said "They have clearly guessed how sneaky we can be"

"She knows us well" Jennifer said with a slight smirk "Where do you think she gets it from?"

"So are we going to launch the attack?" 

"No - they're ready for it, so we'll leave it for a bit later"

xoxox

"Guys - on the signal put up shields" Hermione called out "Keep firing until you do" 

"Yes boss" All four nodded. Hermione took a deep breath, then raised her wand.

"INCENDUS SPHAERA MAXIMUS!" A series of fireballs shot out of her wand, sending a near perfect wall of fire down the tunnel towards the orcs.

"PROTEGO!" Harry, Neville, Blaise and Sally yelled in unison, producing a solid yellow shield between them and the wall of fire. Hermione lowered her wand, breathing heavily. 

"That takes it out of you" She said, panting slightly. 

"But it works" Neville said, pointing down the tunnel with his other hand. The entire area was on fire, and the orcs were falling in large numbers.

"Okay" Hermione took a deep breath, then let it out "Give it a few minutes and - if the fire doesn't come this way - we put it out and take care of the stragglers" She paused "But one of you will have to take the lead, because I am a little tired"

"No worries" Blaise nodded "Just tell us when to go"

xoxox

"Should we...."

"She'll know" 

xoxox

"Wingardium Leviosa" Ginny floated the jewel up from the stone basin it was submerged in, and gently guided it over to where Hermione was stood. 

"Revelus" Hermione watched as the jewel gave no reaction "Okay Nissa - you can let it go" She held out her hand, and caught the jewel as Ginny let it drop. She turned it over in her hand, then slipped it in to her pocket.

"Okay - that's two down, and one to go" She looked around "There's one more tunnel - my guess is it's down there" She paused "Does anyone need a break? Anyone hurt?" We looked around, but no one responded "It would be more helpful if you said something" The others laughed. 

"Sorry boss - we're all fine" Luna replied "But you look like you could use a little rest...."

"Maybe a little" Hermione said with a smile, and then grinned as Neville conjured a chair for her to sit on "Okay - five minutes. Finch, Nissa, Xy - watch the tunnels"

"Yes, boss"

xoxox

"Now?"

"Tempting, but I think they'd be better surrounding the last jewel" Jennifer smiled "That should be a suitable surprise" Augusta stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"If you ever decide to turn evil and try to take over the world, could you let me know in advance?" She said with a grin "Because I'd like to sign up now" Jennifer laughed, then looked back at the image.

"Okay - they're moving again" She looked at the other three adults "Get them ready - they'll be there in about ten minutes"

"Okay" Sidney pressed a few buttons "They'll be ready when they arrive" He paused "You know Minnie and Harry are going to recognise them at once"

"That's what I'm counting on"

xoxox

Harry, who - along with Luna - was on point, peered round the corner.

"Oh crap" He whispered. Luna followed his gaze, and frowned.

"What are they?" She asked in an equally quiet voice.

"Darknuts" He said "Wait here - keep an eye on them and shout if they move" She nodded, and he took a few steps back, then walked back to where Hermione was coming towards them.

"We have truly twisted parents" He said quietly, glancing over his shoulder.

"This is news to you?" Ginny asked with a smirk, but Hermione waved at her to shush.

"What did you see?"

"Darknuts" He replied, making her mouth fall open in surprise "Seven of them - one for each of us, I guess"

"Swell" Hermione sighed "Immune to magic I suppose?"

"We didn't want to tip our hand" He said apologetically "We were worried that if we tried attacking them, it might wake them all up" 

"Makes sense" She looked down the tunnel they had walked up, then sighed "Okay. Lets do this"

xoxox

"Do you think she's figured it out?" Jennifer asked.

"Probably not" Augusta shook her head "I mean - I wouldn't have guessed"

"Then lets hope she's prepared for a surprise" Sidney grinned.

xoxoxo

Hermione led the other five up behind Luna, then gestured for her to walk forward a little. 

Luna took two steps forward, then stopped when she heard a surprised gasp behind her. She turned back to find the other six rubbing their noses.

"A force field" Hermione said, pushing her hand forward until it stopped.

"So I'm on my own?" Luna exclaimed "Against seven darknuts?"

"Unless we can find a way to break this" Harry drew his sword and whacked the barrier, only to see it bounce back and smack him on the head "Ow"

"Do you want me to wait....."

"No" Hermione shook her head "If it is just you, then we'd be here forever" She paused "Make sure you only attack one at once - they generally don't wake up unless you hit them" Luna looked at her skeptically "Well - in theory, at least"

"Swell" Luna turned back, and raised her wand "Take heart, men of Rohan!" She walked forward a few more steps, then let out another gasp of surprise as the seven metal statues in front of her began to change colour. A moment later, they completed their mutation, and Luna was facing seven different coloured statues. She glanced down at the chain she wore around her neck, then back at the statues. 

"I guess that answers that question" She said to herself, then she aimed her wand at the sapphire coloured darknut. 

"BOMBARDIA MAXIMUS!" She yelled at the top of her voice. A bright light shot out of her wand and flew towards the statue. 

A moment later, it vanished, leaving the darknut untouched.

"Looks like it's hand to hand, boss" She called over her shoulder.

"Stay out of range of the axe" Harry called back "Wait for it to swing, then attack when it's off balance" Luna frowned, then slowly walked up to stand in front of the statue.

"We still remember, we who well" She said quietly, then she drew her sword, raised it above her head, and whacked it down with all her might.

xoxox

"Bloody hell" Eric exclaimed in surprise as he heard the echo ring through the alcove "Where did she learn to hit that hard?"

xoxox

Luna jumped backwards, then skipped sideways as the darknut swung its axe. She dodged forward, stabbing the statue in the patch under its arm. The armor cracked, and fell off, revealing a large, muscled creature.

She heard a whoop form behind her, but didn't turn. The axe swung again, and she ducked underneath it, resisting the urge to gasp as she felt the air move over her head. She stood up and slashed down to the side. The darknut dropped to its knees, let its axe go, then fell over and vanished. Luna stared at the empty space for a moment, then smiled.

"Well...." She said, breathing heavily "...that was.... fun" She leaned against the wall for a moment, then looked at the other six darknuts - none of which had moved "Do you think if I hit them, they'll move?"

"No" Blaise said, walking up beside her "Somehow I think this is going to be a one on one thing" She smiled at him.

"Thank god for that" She said with a smile, then walked backwards until she was out of range of the fight "Mr Finch - the floor is yours"

xoxox

"I am afraid I don't know, Albus" Snape looked over his desk at The Headmaster "Young Draco no longer talks to me - I don't think he trusts me any longer"

"So he has given no indication why he has decided to join Professor Umbridge's Student Loyalty Patrol?" Dumbledore asked.

"I think he joined for the reason that the rest of those..... students joined" Snape replied "They think it will give them power, and increase their status" 

"And no doubt the chance to push around the muggle-born students was also an incentive?" 

"No doubt" Dumbledore sighed.

"Severus - you must find a way to regain Mr Malfoy's trust, and ensure that he and his fellow SLP members do not take their actions too far" He said quietly "I fear that young Draco is going to use the cover of this group to attack Mr Potter, or one of his friends, and if that happens I am concerned about the outcome"

"You're worried about Potter?" Snape asked with a sneer "Why am I not surprised?"

"Mr Potter is our only hope in the war we are already fighting, Severus, but that is not my only concern" Dumbledore replied angrily, then he lowered his voice "Miss Granger and her brother have made a lot of friends throughout the school, and they are held in high esteem by a great number of students" He paused "If Mr Malfoy or one of the others decides to use this group to do something untoward, I fear that the school could explode as a result"

"You really think that they'd fight for Potter?" Snape shook his head "I know you are obsessed with that boy, Albus, but I think you are putting too much faith in him to think that the school would rebel over him" 

"I hope you are right Severus" Dumbledore said calmly "I hope you are right"

xoxox

"In that knowledge, despair and die!" Hermione yelled, slamming her sword in to the brain of the purple coloured darknut. It vanished in a burst of light, leaving her stood with her sword in her hand. She took a long, deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"Well done, all of you" She said, smiling at them "That was very, very impressive" They all smiled back, flushed with pride "And now - now we're going to get the last jewel, and return to our gamesmasters" She raised her sword, and marched round the corner, only to come to a dead halt when confronted by three figures.

"You know what? I think I was actually expecting that" Sally walked up behind her, then frowned.

"I thought nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition" She said, making Hermione explode with laughter. 

xoxox

Flanked on either side by her friends, Hermione walked up to where the four observers were waiting. 

She raised her arm, then opened her hand, revealing three crystal jewels resting on her palm.

"For you" She said. Sidney and Augusta walked up, and her father reached out to take the three jewels.

"Thank you" Sidney grinned "Would you like a quick report now, or wait for our full commentary?" 

"I think we can wait" Hermione replied, smiling slightly "Mostly because I think we all need a good, long rest and quite probably a shower" 

"I didn't like to say, but....." Sidney stared, making Hermione laugh "Okay - we'll talk it through after dinner tonight, but to give you some idea, you all get an A-plus"

"Only acceptable?" Sally asked with a frown.

"Different type of A-plus" Hermione replied before her father could "He means we did very, very well indeed" Sidney nodded in agreement. 

"Oh" Sally blushed slightly "Well - that's okay then" Hermione smiled.

"And with that, I think it is time to hit the showers" With a polite nod at the four adults, she lead her friends out of The White Room. 

xoxox

As the water cascaded over her, Hermione let herself smile.

They might be young, and they might be inexperienced, but from what she had seen, there was no longer any doubt in her mind.

They were ready. And when the Time of Reckoning came, they would fight. 

They would fight, and they would win.


	21. Year 5 - Bad Wolf

".....why the big face?" Neville paused, then frowned "Wait... hold on - that's not right" The other six laughed, making him grin "Oh - how about this one? Two mages walk down the street and turn in to a bar" He stopped, looking around expectantly. Hermione bit her lip, schooling her expression in to one of bewilderment.

"I'm sorry, Xyon - I don't get it" She said innocently. Neville sighed.

"It's a play on the word 'turn' and...." He paused, then narrowed his eyes "....and you are teasing me, aren't you?"

"Maybe" Hermione smirked, then bounded over and kissed his cheek "Sorry - but sometimes it's just so easy" 

"I know" Neville sighed "But with Nissa and Bex's help I am getting a lot better"

"It's true" Sally nodded "I tried getting him to go to the library for a long stand" 

"You too?" Ginny asked with a smirk, making Neville laugh "I'll just have to find other ways to have fun with him" Harry whipped his hands up to his ears.

"I don't want to know" He said quickly, making everyone else laugh. 

"Okay - we promise not to tell you what we get up to when we're all alone in The Clubhouse" Ginny started, smiling slyly at Neville, then added "When the lights are down and we're feeling....."

"LALALALALALA" Harry yelled, causing Ginny to burst out laughing and hold her hands up in surrender.

"I'm done, I promise" She said with a wide grin. Harry slowly lowered his hands, pretending to frown at her.

"You are a very bad girl" He said. Ginny opened her mouth to reply, glanced at Hermione, then closed her mouth again.

"But you still love me" She said instead.

"Always" He replied.

"How sweet" A voice drawled from the doorway to the compartment. 

"Ronald" Hermione sighed "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"Shut up, mudblood" He snapped. Both Harry and Neville made as if to move, but Hermione waved at them to be still. Ron watched the interplay, then sneered.

"Hiding behind her skirts? What kind of wizards are you?" He snapped, then he looked over at Blaise and Sally "And you two - is there a chair shortage?" Sally, who was sat on Blaise's knee, smiled back.

"Yes - it was reported in The Quibbler and The Guardian" She replied in a deadpan voice "It's due to a rebellion in Wagadogo" Ron stared at her for a moment, then smiled darkly.

"Professor Umbridge has introduced a morality code" He said, still smiling a slightly manic smile "Everyone will be expected to abide by it, or face the consequences" He glared at Sally, who simply smiled back. When it became clear she wasn't going to move, he laughed.

"Be like that. You'll get what's coming to you" He turned and glared at Ginny "And you, you little harlot - you'll pay for what you've done to my family" Before any of them could respond, he slammed the door shut and stalked off down the corridor.

"A morality code?" Harry looked over at Hermione "Any ideas?"

"There are a few mentions of it in Hogwarts: A History, but not since the early 1800s" She replied "The last time it was considered was post World War II - seems a lot of the students thought the death of Grindelwald was a good excuse to...." She paused, trying to think of a suitable word, then shrugged "Start practising crocheting" Luna and Sally snorted in unison.

"Crocheting?" Hermione smirked. 

"Keep in mind that this would be about the time that some of your parents or grandparents would have been in Hogwarts" She paused "So do you want me to say 'going at it like bunnies'?" Identical expressions of slight nausea appeared on Sally's, Neville's, Blaise's and Ginny's faces, but Luna merely smirked.

"You mean they were giving out lots of chocolate at Easter?" Luna asked innocently. Hermione laughed.

"Exactly" She nodded, still smiling "But - to get back to the original topic - if the morality code is the same as it was in the good old days, it means that boys and girls can not display undue public affection and the gender line that stops boys entering the girls' dorms will also be applied the other way round" 

"Undue public affection?" Blaise asked, eyebrows raised curiously.

"Betrothed couples may exchanged chaste kisses and hold hands, couples who are acknowledged as dating my hold hands and everyone else might as well be a monk or a nun" Hermione sighed, then glanced at the three couples "But since this is Umbridge we are talking about, I suspect that it's not going to be that simple" 

"Because we're too young to be betrothed?" Sally asked "I'm not sure any of our parents would mind making it official if it becomes an issue" She glanced at Blaise "I'm not saying that it means anything - contracts can be cancelled as easily as they can be created"

"I'll consider it" Hermione smiled "But wouldn't that be giving in to her demands?" Sally shrugged.

"Maybe, but it would at least buy us some time" She replied "That is assuming The Ministry doesn't overrule the contracts" 

"They can do that?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"They can try" Neville nodded. 

"Do we honestly care?" Luna asked "I mean even if we are banned from holding hands or snuggling in public, we have The Clubhouse and Lucy's Place" She smiled at Harry "We won't be short of places to snuggle, sweetie" Harry smiled while Ginny pretended to make gagging noises.

"GW's right" Hermione said "Don't get me wrong - if any of you do want to become betrothed, go ahead. I just don't want you doing it as a strategy" She smiled softly "It's an important step, and you should only do it when you are ready" The six couples nodded.

"Anyway - this whole morality code thing doesn't worry me so much as what The Slappies are going to do" There was a moment of silence, then the others all raised their eyebrows in unison.

"The Slappies?" Harry asked with an amused grin. Hermione blushed.

"After Viktor left last night, I got a little bored" She smiled "Plus people would understand the nickname better than brown shirts" 

"True" Harry laughed "But you said you were worried about them?"

"Umbridge set them up with the sole purpose of tormenting the seven of us" Hermione said "And so far they have done a pretty poor job of doing that" She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes "I want everyone to be on their guard - I have a feeling The Reckoning is coming soon, and Pennywise is going to drive his three..... what did he call them?"

"Agents of chaos" Luna supplied.

"Thank you - I think he's going to force his three agents of chaos in to overdrive" She opened her eyes "The Slappies might not work for him directly, but with Malfoy, Smith and Ron guiding them, they can do a lot of damage" 

"Why thank you, Granger" Draco walked in to the compartment, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle "It's good to see you have finally learned to appreciate me for what I am"

"Oh I have always had a good appreciation of what you are, Draco" Hermione replied with a smile "I am pretty sure we all have" Draco narrowed his eyes.

"You'd just better watch your back, Granger" He said quietly "I'll be watching you - you and the rest of these losers" 

"Losers?" Hermione raised her eyebrows. She looked around at her friends "What do you think?" 

"What do they think about what?" Draco asked, looking slightly confused.

"I kind of like it" Luna said with a grin "I mean - I liked being known as The Study Group, but since that was outlawed, we've been missing a name"

"And it's better than most of the other names this lot have come up with" Ginny added, waving her hand at the three Slytherins.

"So it's agreed?" Hermione asked and each of them nodded "Okay then" She turned back to Draco and looked at him in fake surprise "Are you still here?" She shrugged "Anyway - thank you for the suggestion and we've decided to take it"

"Take what?" Draco stared at her in utter confusion.

"The nickname for our little group" Hermione said as if she were talking to a child "As GW said, we've been looking for one since your mistress closed down the study group, and now we have one"

"That was an insult you idiotic mudblood!" Draco yelled "Don't you know when you are being insulted?" Hermione stared back at him.

"You say potato, I say potahto" She said, then shook her head "No, I don't. I mean - who in their right mind says potahto - it just sounds stupid!" Draco stared at her for a moment longer, then threw his arms up in the air and turned and stalked out of the compartment. Hermione smirked.

"Anyone want to take bets on when we'll get interrupted by Zach?"

xoxox

Six hours later, Hermione stared at the notice on the Gryffindor board.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Parvati said, walking up to stand behind her. Hermione smiled.

"I can think of a few other words to describe it" She said quietly.

"Tell me about it" Hermione glanced at her "There's someone.... someone I was thinking of asking out" Parvati sighed "But unless I can convince Umbridge...."

"Professor Umbridge" They both turned as Ron walked up behind them.

"This is a private conversation, Weasley...." Parvati started, but Ron merely smiled.

"Anything that affect the smooth running of the school is my business" He said, grinning "So - who was this boy you were thinking about dating?" Hermione looked at Parvati.

"Perhaps we should discuss this in our dorm?" She suggested. Parvati grinned, then looked at Ron.

"That sounds like a good idea" She said, still grinning, then turned and walked over to the stairs. Hermione smirked.

"So, Ronald, are you going to follow two unbetrothed girls in to their dorm?" She asked, then turned on her heel and followed Parvati up the stairs. Ron took a step forward, then stopped.

"Doesn't matter" He said to himself "We'll find out soon enough if they're going to be doing something inappropriate" He grinned, then turned and walked back to the seat near the fireplace.

xoxox

"Romilda? Really?" Hermione leaned back against her headboard, then smiled "Yeah - I suppose I can kind of see that"

"We've been studying together for three years, and we spent most of this summer together and all of Christmas" Parvati smiled fondly "We have a lot in common, and..." She trailed off then shrugged "I've heard stories that when you met Viktor, you just knew?" Hermione nodded "This wasn't that - but it kind of is, if you get what I mean?"

"Yeah" Hermione nodded "She is the sun and moon, the alpha and omega. You look at her and you find that you don't want to look away because she might not be there when you look back" Parvati grinned "You know we're continuing with Lucy?"

"Yes"

"Well - I had an idea about how we can get round this new morality nonsense" Hermione paused "And when I say I had an idea, I mean it literally just came to me now, and I haven't actually thought it through all that much, so this might come out as the stupid thing I've ever said...."

"Don't worry, I won't tell" Parvati laughed.

"Thank you" Hermione smiled "Anyway - if we use the training room properly, we can set up places for dates and so on, then the couples that will be targeted by Umbridge's purge will have somewhere to go if they want"

"It won't risk revealing Lucy?" Parvati asked, but Hermione shook her head.

"No - anyone who uses the room will be bound by the same secrecy spell as everyone else, and I think between all of us we can work out a schedule for people so that they won't be running in to each other" She closed her eyes "When I first learned about magic, McGonagall told me that there were wonderous things to see, and amazing things to learn" She opened her again, staring at Parvati "I am not sure that setting up a secret room for romantic trysts was what she had in mind" Parvati laughed softly.

"Can I ask you something?" She said after a moment, then - before Hermione could respond - added "Something other than that, I mean" Hermione smirked, then nodded.

"Why are you still here?" Parvati asked.

"Sorry?" Hermione looked at her in surprise.

"You are the heir to the richest House in the country" Parvati explained "And you are in partnership with Gringotts, meaning that you could go anywhere in the magical world and continue your life"

"What about the other four?" Hermione tilted her head to one side.

"The Heirs to the Houses of Longbottom, Zabini and Black?" Parvati grinned "Even Luna and her father have a fair amount of resources they could take with them, and I am sure that none of you would mind assisting them for a bit if it was necessary" She paused "You - all of you - could leave Hogwarts and never look back. Yet you stay here and you put up with all the crap that Umbridge, The Ministry and Dumbledore are dumping on you" Hermione smiled softly.

"We made a promise to someone" She said quietly, then looked intently at Parvati "Can I trust you with something? Something that no one outside of my friends and our family know? Something you can't tell anyone else, not even Padma"

"Yes" She nodded. Hermione took a deep breath.

"We think that, in a few months, we won't be bound by the promise any longer" She said carefully "And once that happens the seven of us, and our families, are leaving the country"

"Wow" 

"We are already enrolled at Beauxbatons - Madame Maxime arranged it after I was entered in to The Tournament last year - and with the help of Minister Fudge, Madame Maxime and Monseiur Delacour we will be citizens within a few days of our arrival"

"Meaning that The Ministry won't be able to force you to come back" Parvati's eyes widened "You'll be out of reach of everyone" 

"That's the plan" Hermione nodded. Parvati smiled.

"Promise me something" She said after a moment.

"What?"

"That if you ever turn Dark, you'll let me know in advance" Hermione burst out laughing, making Parvati grin.

"I promise" Hermione said after she calmed down "But don't worry - I am not planning to turn Dark or take over the world in any other way" She smiled "I just want to fulfil my promise and then fade in to the background - live a normal life where no one knows my name"

"Sounds nice" Parvati smiled. Hermione nodded.

"But, for now, we need to sort out your love life!" Hermione jumped off the bed "To The Batcave!"

xoxox

"We can't let this stand, Albus" McGonagall gestured to the document on the desk between them "A morality code? It's positively medieval" 

"I am aware of the.... problems that this will cause, Minerva, but what would you have me do?"

"Tell The Minister he is wrong" McGonagall yelled "Tell him that The Ministry should not be in the business of defining love, and it certainly should not be in the business of ill-defining it" She picked up the parchment and waved it in his face "They are asking us to tell two people who are in love that they can't be together because of some arbitrary rules made up over a century ago. It's..... it's obscene" 

"I know" Dumbledore shouted, then, closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, then let it out slowly and opened his eyes to stare at his deputy "I have spent my whole career telling students that everyone is equal and should be treated the same, and now I am being asked to contradict everything I believe in" 

"Then don't" She implored him "Stand up to Dolores and Rufus - tell them they are wrong"

"The moment I stand up to them, they will replace me" He said "They will replace me, and anyone who stands with me" He shook his head "I can not do anything to protect our students if I am expelled from the school, Minerva" McGonagall resisted the urge to comment that he wasn't doing a great deal to protect the students at the moment.

"Is there anything we can do?" She asked instead. Dumbledore sighed.

"These rules are obviously targeted at Harry and his friends" He said after a moment "Dolores will claim that Harry, Ginny and Sally don't have their parents' permission, and so will say that they are permitted to date" 

"And Miss Potter-Granger?"

"If she is meeting Mr Krum, it will not be on school grounds" Dumbledore replied "They are more likely to go after her six friends first"

"How is this going to help?" McGonagall asked. Dumbledore took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"I could suggest to Dolores that I might be willing to overlook some of what she is doing to Harry's play group if she is willing to go easy on the rest of the school" McGonagall opened her mouth, but stopped when Dumbledore continued "I am well aware it is not an ideal solution Minerva - that it will focus more attention on Harry and make his life a great deal more difficult, but in the end it will serve the greater good" McGonagall stared at him, then sighed.

"If this is a way to ensure he will come to you - to ask you for help....." She trailed off as Dumbledore raised his hand "My apologies, Headmaster, but I am very distressed by this whole situation"

"As am I, Minerva" Dumbledore said softly "And I will endeavour to do what I can to find a way out of it" 

xoxox

Two nights later Hermione looked around The Room of Requirement, then she lifted her whistle to her lips and gave it a sharp blow. 

"Okay" She said when everyone had fallen silent and turned to face her "I'm bringing this meeting to an end early because there's something else I want to discuss" She glanced at Parvati, who gave her an encouraging smile "I assume that, by now, you've all read Umbridge's exciting new idea of how we should live our lives" There was a ripple of nods through the room "And I don't suppose I need to tell you how utterly abhorrent and appalling I found it?" Another wave of nods, making her smile.

"Well - you will also probably be very unsurprised to learn that I have a plan to deal with it" She paused "And while I admit some of it was motivated by the fact that my family has been targeted by this, the truth is that this is wrong and letting it stand for a day - for an hour - without doing something about it goes against everything I believe in" The room burst in to applause, making her blush slightly. She waited for it to die down, then continued.

"The basic plan is to use this room as a place where those of you who are affected by Umbridge's brave new world can come to be with your boyfriend or girlfriend" She looked around "And while the idea might appeal, I would ask that everyone who hasn't been affected stick to using the broom cupboards or other places - the more people who come here, the more chance there is of it being revealed" She paused "Over the next week I'm going to set up a separate system for arranging times for people to use the room. This system will be codenamed Bad Wolf - since Umbridge is trying to blow our house down, we'll do everything we can to thwart her" There was a burst of cheers and applause this time, making her grin.

"At the moment, this can only be extended to people who are in Lucy's Army, because the spell that covers your participation in this will cover that as well" She looked around the group then took a deep breath "And while I have no desire to pry in to any of your private lives, I am afraid you will have to ask me if you want to bring anyone else in - you won't be able to talk about this room to them, nor about the plan" She sighed "Needless to say, if you suddenly find yourself having a major crush on one of The Slappies, I am pretty sure it is going to have to be an unrequited one" She paused for the laughter that filled the room.

"Okay - that's it for this evening. You've all done very well, and I'm glad to say Christmas doesn't seem to have dulled your skills" She noticed Luna was making a strange gesture at her "And apparently GW wants me to say something, but unless it's a story about a bunny mounting a lion, I think she might have to explain it herself" Luna blushed.

"I do have a story like that if you want it?" She asked, then continued "What I was trying to remind you was to tell everyone not to ask about Bad Wolf, but to let us talk to them" 

"Oh - yes, sorry" Hermione nodded "As GW says, we will talk to each of you individually about the times and dates for Bad Wolf. We're afraid that if everyone comes to us, it will be a bit obvious" She grinned "And with that, we're done" She watched as the room started to empty, until only the other six Losers remained, along with Parvati and Romilda.

"Bad Wolf?" Parvati asked "Nice name" Hermione grinned.

"Graffiti in Fairlands Valley" She said with a smile "Someone had spray painted it in letters twelve feet high across one of the walls" She shrugged "It just stuck in my mind"

"Fair enough" Parvati glanced at Romilda "Ready to go?"

"Yes, Ari" Romilda nodded, then looked at Hermione "Thank you, Min - I know this is all a risk, so - thanks"

"The risk is well worth the reward" Hermione said softly "Now - go, enjoy the rest of your evening" 

"Sir, yes sir!" They both saluted her, then turned and vanished through a door that appeared in front of them. Hermione smirked, then turned back to her friends.

"That went pretty well" She said with a grin "Even if it does mean I am going to learn WAY more about my fellow students than I really want to" 

"But just think of all the blackmail potential!" Luna exclaimed, then smirked "God - can you imagine if I was really like that?" Harry smiled fondly.

"Then I would keep all your files in order, so you could blackmail people more efficiently" Luna smiled at him.

"See - this is why I love you" She said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. Harry let out an overly dramatic sigh.

"And I thought it was because of my twelve inch...."

"LALALALALALALA!" Ginny yelled, sticking her fingers in her ears. 

"I was going to say wand" Harry continued, waving his wand in front of her "What did you think I was going to say?" Ginny glared at him, making him laugh.

"So - how are we going to work out the Bad Wolf stuff?" Blaise asked, smiling at the antics of the two siblings.

"I was hoping you might have some ideas" Hermione admitted with a blush "Because so far all I don't have a clue" Blaise grinned.

"Well - here's the thing....."

xoxox

"I'm afraid not, Headmaster" Umbridge said in a polite tone "I am tasked by The Ministry to be fair and impartial, and to ensure all of our students receive the same education and treatment regardless of their station in life or their family name" She smiled ingratiatingly "So I can not apply the Morality Code to only those students I think deserve it - how would that look?"

"You aren't afraid you are going to alienate the parents of your students?" Dumbledore asked.

"Once this is spun correctly, we will have the parents eating out of our hands" Umbridge said dismissively "Understand me, Headmaster - I will apply The Code to everyone, and anyone who is found in violation will be punished" She leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk "Do I make myself clear, Headmaster?"

xoxox

"Where have you two been?" Ron stalked up to Harry and Hermione as they came through the portrait-hole.

"Freedonia" Harry replied. 

"You left school?" Ron laughed "Oh I can't wait to tell Professor Umbridge about this" Harry opened his mouth, but stopped when Hermione rested a hand on his arm.

"Then you should run along and do it now, Ronald" She smiled "Run along to your master" Ron glared at her for a moment, then turned and bounded out of the common room.

"Will Umbridge know where Freedonia is?" Harry asked as he and Hermione walked over to the fireplace.

"If she doesn't, I am pretty sure Dumbledore or McGonagall will" Hermione laughed "So Ron looks like a twit and we get to have a bit of fun at his expense" Harry grinned.

"Sounds like the perfect end to the evening"


	22. Year 5 - Silence Is All You Know

Hermione smiled as the snow globe in her hand flashed gold for a moment, then returned to showing St Paul's Cathedral. 

"Another night over" She looked up at Harry "They're back to their common room without getting caught"

"Who was it this time?" Harry asked.

"Batman and Robin" She replied with a smirk. When Blaise had told her about his idea for setting up the Bad Wolf system, she had - at first - thought he had gone round the twist. But the more she'd thought about it, the better the idea had become.

**Flashback**

"We give everyone involved codenames" He'd explained three weeks before "That way, you don't ever have to use their real names. So even if you are overheard, no one will have any idea what you are talking about"

"More nicknames?" Hermione rolled her eyes, making Blaise stick his tounge out at her.

"Yes, Miss Sarcasm, more nicknames" He smiled "And my father has given me a set of magical objects that are all tied together with a single charm" He pulled two things out of his bag - a small blue paperweight and a snow globe depicting St Paul's Cathedral "The globe is the central item - all the other ones are tied to that" He held out the globe, and Hermione took it.

"Okay" Hermione turned the globe over in her hands "So what does it.... woah!" She exclaimed as the globe flashed red, then silver, then blue and then gold "What was that?" Blaise laughed.

"Whoever is holding one of the linked items can trigger a signal charm" He tapped the paperweight again, and the flashed gold again "I figure you give one of the linked items to each of the....." He trailed off.

"Little pigs?" Luna suggested with a laugh.

"Well - yeah, but I think we can probably find a better name for them" Hermione smirked.

"Well - anyway, you give one of the items to everyone involved in Bad Wolf, and you keep the globe. We assign each colour to a signal, and then you can communicate easily with everyone without ever having to talk to them in person" Hermione stared at him in amazement.

"And you came up with all this in the last few days?" She asked, and he nodded "You know - it's at times like this I am glad you're a guy"

"Pardon me?" Blaise exclaimed in surprise.

"If you were a girl, I am pretty sure I wouldn't be the smartest witch in our generation any more" 

**end flashback**

"Does it worry you that we now know WAY more about our fellow students than we really should?" Harry asked after a moment. Hermione shrugged.

"If the Slappies hadn't come along, and if I was actually a good little girl, I'd probably be a prefect this year" She smiled "Going from broom cupboard to broom cupboard and catching all sorts of students in any number of compromising positions" She gestured at the globe "At this way they get to keep their actual...."

"Crocheting activities"

".....to themselves" She paused "And there is the chance that I might have asked the Room to ensure they never go too far" Harry's mouth dropped open.

"What?"

"There is only so much you can do in a broom cupboard" Hermione said, then blushed as Harry wiggled his eyebrows suggestively "Oh shush you" He laughed "The Room can pretty much given them anything they want - make the perfect love nest. I thought that, since I was giving them that, I should at least ensure there were some limits" Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"I was going to ask how, but I am not sure I want to know" 

"Wise choice" Hermione smirked. 

xoxox

The next morning at breakfast, Draco looked up in surprise as a jet black owl dropped a black envelope in front of him. Glancing around to see if anyone had noticed, he picked it up and slowly opened it up.

_Dear Mr Malfoy,_

_I told you I would give you one more chance to get back in to my good graces._

_Later this afternoon, the Drippy one will be in The Quad. He will be alone for around ten minutes, and then his friends will arrive._

_If you can arrange to have a few of your associates present, then I believe that not only can you damage the weakest link in their chain, you might also be able to provoke the rest of the group in to action._

_I am confident that you will be able to arrange this. Just as I am confident you will understand that it if you fail in your task, you will not get any more chances, and that you will earn my most severe displeasure._

_your friend,  
Robert Gray esq._

Draco looked around again, then smiled.

xoxox

"You're going down to see Hagrid this afternoon?" Harry asked as he swung The Master Sword at his sister's head. Ginny flicked Nelkala up and blocked his thrust.

"Yeah, with Cel" She replied, driving Harry backwards across The Chamber "We thought we'd see what excitement he has cooked up for the next lesson" She paused "Plus it's his birthday tomorrow" She flicked her sword up, but Harry ducked, then stabbed forward. Ginny jumped to one side, then slapped her sword against his bottom as he skidded past her.

"Hey!" He span round while she laughed.

"Sorry - couldn't resist" He smiled back at her, then he pulled out his wand and flung a stunning curse at her. Without thinking, she swung her sword up to intercept the curse, then stared in surprise as the curse bounced off and flew back towards Harry.

"Holy crap!" He yelled, dropping to the floor "Where did you learn to do that?" Ginny stared at her sword in confusion.

"I didn't" She replied, lowering Nelkala to her side "I just wanted a way to stop your curse hitting me" She looked down at her sword, then back up at her brother "I thought that my sword might be able to do it"

"But you didn't know it would work? You've never done it before?" 

"No" She shook her head, then she looked up at him "Want to try again?"

"You sure?" He asked. She grinned.

"We'll never know if we don't try" She replied. Harry nodded.

"Okay then" He raised his wand, and she raised her sword to one side "Do you want a count down, or be surprised?"

"Just go for it" She said quickly. Harry nodded, then smiled.

"Okay"

xoxox

"He STUNNED you?" Neville exclaimed in surprise "Seriously? Ginny laughed.

"I admit, it sounds bad when you say it like that" She grinned "But I did ask him to"

"You asked him to stun you?" Neville stopped and turned to face him "Are you okay?"

"Yes, dear, I am perfectly fine" She slipped her hand in to his "We were practising duelling, with our swords, and because I was winning, he pulled out his wand and threw a stunning curse at me"

"He cheated?" Ginny smirked.

"From a certain point of view, but you will learn that....."

"A great many things in life - I know" She laughed.

"Your education is nearly complete, young Padawan" She said sagely "Anyway - he threw the stunning curse at me, and I deflected it" She paused as Neville missed a step and nearly tripped "I wasn't really thinking about it consciously, but I used Nelkala to block the curse, and instead of just diffusing it, the curse was reflected back at FB"

"Good god" Neville said in a whisper "Have you told Snidge about this....."

"Not yet - FB is going to do it later tonight" She paused "Besides - we tried it again a moment later and not only did it not bounce of my sword, it hit me directly in the chest" She sighed.

"Oh dear" He pulled his hand out of hers, then pulled her in to a one armed hug as they headed through The Quad.

"So while it might be useful in the future, we have to find a way of making it work every time" Ginny continued, leaning in to him "And possibly what spells it can be used for - if it's just stunners, then it's useful, but not excessively so"

"But if we can block killing curses or the cruciatus...." Neville smiled "That does sound like something that's worth researching" He paused "Do you want to skip seeing Hagrid or...."

"No - we haven't been to tea for a while, and we did promise" She stood up on tip-toes and kissed his cheek "But you are very....."

"MISS WEASLEY!" A voice bellowed from the side of The Quad.

"I was actually going to say sweet" Ginny shrugged, then turned to see Umbridge stalking across The Quad towards them.

"You know the rules, Miss Weasley - you are not permitted to engage in that sort of obscene display at this school"

"Professor, my name is Miss Potter-Granger, and all I was doing was kissing him on the cheek" Ginny said firmly.

"Just as I was warned" Umbridge shook her head "Come with me" She turned and took a few steps, then looked back "Just Miss Weasley, Mr Longbottom - you can remain here"

"I'd prefer to go with her" Neville said quietly.

"I am not concerned with your preferences, Mr Longbottom" Umbridge replied tartly "You will wait here until Miss Weasley returns" Neville looked at Ginny, biting his lip.

"I'll be fine" She said quietly "But let Snidge know, just in case" He nodded, then she turned and followed Umbridge towards the school.

He watched until they vanished in to the doors, then he walked over to one of the benches, pulled his communications crystal out of his pocket and sat down.

"Snidge?" He said, tapping the crystal. A moment later, Hermione's face appeared above it.

"What's up?"

"Umbridge just took Mel away for kissing me on the cheek. She said something about being told it was going to happen" Hermione's face paled for a moment, then she nodded.

"Okay - I'll make sure she's okay" She replied "Where are you?"

"The Quad" 

"Alone?" 

"Yeah"

"Be careful" 

"I'll be fine" He replied as her image vanished. He slipped the crystal back in to his robes, then looked up as a slow, drawling voice filled The Quad.

"I'd like to test that theory" 

xoxox

"Professor - we need your help" Hermione, Harry and Luna ran in to the Charms classroom.

"What can I do for you?" Flitwick asked, putting down the parchment he was marking.

"Professor Umbridge has taken Ginny up to her office to ask her why she was kissing Xyon" Hermione replied quickly "We are worried that she's going to...." 

"Do something untoward?" Flitwick asked, and they all nodded "How long ago was this?"

"Xyon got in touch with us about five minutes ago" Luna said "So - they're probably in her office by now"

"Okay" Flitwick nodded "I'll make up an excuse to go and talk to her" He paused, then smiled "I mean - I will go and confer with my colleague" Hermione returned his smile.

"Thank you, Professor" She sighed in relief "I wouldn't ask, but Umbridge suggested she was directed to look for Nissa and Xyon by someone else" 

"IT?" Flitwick raised his eyebrows curiously, and Hermione nodded "If you will excuse me, I'll go now"

xoxox

 _"I'd like to test that theory"_

Neville gazed at Draco, then smiled politely.

"Draco" He looked around "Ronald, Zachary, Greg, Vincent, Pansy, Daphne" He turned back to Draco "What can I do for you this fine afternoon?"

"This fine afternoon?" Draco asked with a sneer, making the rest of his group laugh "Did your parents teach you to talk like that?" He paused, then laughed "Oh - no, you don't have any parents, do you" The group laughed again, while Neville merely stared at them.

"What do you want, Draco?" He asked again. 

"We want to talk to you" Ron took a step forward "About what you've been doing to my sister" Neville raised one eyebrow in slight amusement.

"All of you?" He asked with a smirk "I mean - I can't imagine that Pansy really cares what Ginny and I might get up to in our spare time, do you Pansy?"

"Not really, no" Pansy shook her head "But Ron here is worried that you are corrupting his baby sister, and as his friends, we are concerned about anything that might upset him" Neville chuckled.

"You and Ron are friends?" He asked in amusement "When did that happen?"

"Are you shagging my sister?" Ron yelled. Neville turned to stare at him.

"As you well know, Ronald, she stopped being your sister the moment your mother let Dumbledore attempt to mind-rape her" He said gravely "So forgive me if I find your attempt to show concern for her now less than convincing" 

"So you thought you'd get your revenge on my family by letting all your friends screw her?" Ron asked with a snarl "Even her new family?" Neville shook his head.

"You really think Harry or Hermione would hurt her like that?" He asked "They love her, Ronald. Something you and your parents seem to be incapable of understanding - something you are apparently incapable of doing as well" He paused "Now - if you have nothing sensible to say, I promise I would meet Nissa when she was finished with Umbridge" He started to turn, but found Goyle and Crabbe blocking his way"

"You're not going anywhere, Drippy" Draco said with a drawl "Not until we are done with you"

xoxox

Flitwick knocked on Umbridge's door, then pushed it open. He found Umbridge sitting alone behind her desk.

"May I help you, Filius?" She asked. Flitwick glanced around the room, then looked back at her.

"I just came to ask you about any preparations we might be required to make for the Valentine's Weekend" He said, walking up to the desk "It is less than two weeks away, and with the reintroduction of The Morality Code, I thought we might be require more chaperones to keep an eye on the students" Umbridge smiled.

"Plans are already being drawn up, Filius - there is no need to worry about it" Flitwick smiled.

"Very well then - I am sorry to have interrupted you" He turned on his heel and walked out of the office, pulling the door closed behind him. 

He walked down the corridor, lost in thought. If Umbridge hadn't done anything to Ginny, then why had The Clown directed her? What did IT gain from having Ginny in Umbridge's office.

"Oh my god. Xyon"

xoxox

"So - are you going to tell us when the next meeting is? Who is involved? What you are learning?" Zach asked, pointing his wand at Neville.

"We're meeting this afternoon" Neville replied, making Zach smile. But as Neville continued, Zach's smile fell "And everyone is involved. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Umbridge, Scimgeour, Voldemort. And we are learning underwater basket weaving" 

"I suppose you think your funny" He snapped.

"I try not to fly in the face of public opinion" Neville smirked. Ron glanced at Draco, then raised his wand.

"Last chance to tell us the truth, Longbottom" 

"And why would I want to do that?" Neville shook his head in amusement "Why would I want to do anything for you? Just because you've got a badge? Please" 

"You will answer us because we are in charge!" Draco said with a calm smile "In fact, I am not sure I like this arrangement" He paused "Kneel"

"What?" Neville asked, actually surprised.

"Kneel before your masters, Longbottom"

xoxox

"Pomona!" Flitwick barrelled in to Sprout's classroom, making her jump.

"Filius?" She got to her feet "What's wrong?"

"I believe one of our friends is in trouble, and I need you to come with me" He turned and sprinted out. Sprout pulled out her wand, then ran off after him.

xoxox

"I kneel before only one person, Draco" Neville replied "And, before you ask, it's not you" Draco stared at him, his eyes going cold.

"You will kneel before me, Longbottom, or I will make you very sorry you ever met me"

"I'm already sorry I met you" Neville said in an equally cold voice, making Pansy laugh. Draco turned to glare at her, and she hung her head, staring at the ground. Draco glared at her for a moment longer, then turned back to stare at Neville.

"Last chance, Longbottom" He said, stepping forward "Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness"

"Or what?"

"Vince, Greg" Draco barked. The two boys walked up behind Neville and grabbed his arms. Draco smiled and took a step forward.

"Vince, break his arm" He said in a quiet voice. Crabbe stared at him for a moment.

"Draco...." He said then trailed off as Draco turned to glare at him "I mean.... you said we were just going to scare him"

"I don't know about you" Draco said in the same quiet, menacing voice "But I find pain can be quiet scary" He pushed Crabbe out of the way and grabbed Neville's arm, twisting it up behind his back.

xoxox

"Do you really think IT will try to kill him...." Sprout asked as she and Flitwick ran towards The Quad.

"I don't know, but do you want to find out?" 

xoxox

"Last chance, Drippy" Draco hissed. Neville merely turned his head and stared at Draco stonily. 

"Go to hell" Draco's eyes flashed, then he grinned, and yanked Neville's arm upwards.

xoxox

"There!" Flitwick called to his colleague as they rounded the corner.

xoxox

Neville bit his lip as his arm exploded in pain.

"So - you wanna talk now, Longbottom?" Draco asked as he let go of the boy's arm. Neville winced again, then, cradling his right arm with his left, he drew himself up.

"I'm sorry" He said, voice halting as the waves of pain continued to hit him "I'm so, so sorry" 

"You're sorry?" Draco stared at him in confusion "What fight are you watching?"

"I'm sorry that you are such a pathetic wimp that...." Neville didn't get any further, because Draco stomped forward and pushed him as hard as he could, sending Neville falling over a bench. 

"CARIFON!" Flitwick's angry bellow filled The Quad, and a moment later, a bright yellow wall of light shot up, separating the now prone Neville from the rest "All of you - stay where you are" Turning, he watched as Sprout crouched down next to Neville "Pomona?"

"His arm is broken in two places, and he has a sizeable cut on the back of his head" Sprout replied, voice vibrating with anger "We'll have to take him to the infirmary before we can do anything for him"

"Very well" Flitwick nodded, then he turned back to face Draco "All of you - back to your common rooms. You will wait there until your Head of House comes to show you out of the school" He turned back and walked up next to Sprout "I think we need a stretcher" She nodded, and together they conjured a foam padded stretcher, then Flitwick levitated Neville on to it.

"We should inform Augusta" Sprout said as she prepared to pick up one end.

"There's someone else we need to tell first" Flitwick replied, pulling out his communication crystal. 

xoxox

"Professor?" Hermione stared in surprise as Flitwick's face appeared above her crystal "To what do I...."

"Xyon's been hurt" For a moment she went white, then she took a deep breath as he continued "We're taking him to the infirmary. Can you tell Augusta and the others?"

"Of course" She replied in a tone of quiet anger "Who?"

"The Slappies" He said in the same tone "I will tell you more when...."

"Of course - go" She said, and the crystal flicked off. She closed her eyes for a moment, then let out a long slow breath. 

"Volo Patronus" She whispered, then opened her eyes to see Emily standing in front of her, looking unusually serious.

"Find the others - tell them to come to the infirmary" She paused "Tell them Xy has been hurt, but that he will be okay" Emily nodded, then vanished through the wall. Hermione took another deep breath, then tapped her crystal again.

"Augusta Longbottom"

xoxox

Harry and Sally arrived at the infirmary just as Flitwick and Sprout lowered the stretcher on to the bed nearest the door.

"Oh good - what happened?" Sally asked as she rushed up to his bedside.

"Just a moment" Flitwick vanished the stretcher, then turned and stalked down the infirmary to the office.

"Professor?" Sally turned to Sprout "What happened?"

"We should wait for Hermione, Luna and Augusta" Sprout replied "You'll all want to hear this at once" Sally bit her lip "He's going to be okay, Sally - once Madam Pomfrey gives him a dose of skele-grow....."

"He'll be dead in five minutes" Ginny said from the door, Blaise stood beside her "He's deathly allergic to it" 

"I am aware of that, Miss Potter-Granger" Pomfrey said as she and Flitwick walked up the ward "Now - if you could all go and sit on the beds over there, I will take care of your friend" She waved her wand, and the curtains flew out to surround the bed.

"I want to stay" Ginny said quietly. Pomfrey looked at her for a moment, then nodded and lead her in to the curtained off area.

"Where's Snidge?" Flitwick asked as the other students sat down on one of the other beds.

"She and Lin are waiting for Augusta in The Entrance Hall" Harry replied.

"Will they be okay?" Sprout asked.

"GW will make sure nothing happens to her" Blaise said with a slight smile "And they didn't want Augusta walking through the school on her own" 

"Makes sense" Sprout nodded "Do you think one of us should...."

"They'll be fine" Harry said softly "Snidge wanted us - all of us here" He looked over at the door and frowned "And I think I know why" Sprout and Flitwick both turned to see Umbridge stalking in to the infirmary. She stopped at the door, then caught sight of Harry and walked over to him.

"Where is he?" She demanded.

"Where is who?" 

"The Longbottom boy" Umbridge snapped "Where is he?"

"Currently he is having his arm set after two of your Slappies snapped in two places" Sprout replied, her voice quivering with anger "So you can talk to me for the moment, Professor. What do you want with him?"

"Draco Malfoy came to see me. He said that he and a few other members of The Student Loyalty Patrol were walking through The Quad when Longbottom walked up and started provoking them" She looked over at the curtained off area "He made several insulting remarks, and a number of vulgar and lewd suggestions to the young ladies who were present" She paused "After enduring a number of slights and comments about his family, young Draco lost his temper slightly, and pushed Longbottom. Being the clumsy and frankly accident-prone boy he is, Longbottom tripped over his own feet and broke his arm trying to cushion his fall" 

"Young Draco told you all this, did he?" Flitwick asked "Did you question any of the others?"

"They all told the same story" Umbridge replied "And as head of The SLP, Draco's integrity is beyond reproach" Harry and Sally both snorted in amusement, making Umbridge glare at them.

"Professor, would it interest you to learn that when Pomona and I saw this group, one of your pet students had Neville's arm halfway up his back, and then he pushed it further, breaking it" Flitwick said calmly "Young Draco then pushed him backwards over a bench, breaking his arm again" 

"Are you suggesting that Mr Malfoy lied to me?" Umbridge asked innocently.

"No, Dolores, I believe he is stating it outright" Augusta's voice came from the door to the infirmary, where she was flanked by Luna and Hermione "And from my experience in dealing with Mr Malfoy and his father, I am rather inclined to accept Filius' version of events" Umbridge stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"Madam Longbottom, perhaps you are unaware of my new position within the school" She said politely "I am responsible for maintaining discipline and ensuring the smooth running of the school. A position that has been made a great deal harder, I am sad to say, by your son and his friends" She glared at the group assembled on the bed "Your grandson deliberately tried to stir up a fight, and I intend to see he is punished for it"

"But Professor" Sally said in a guileless voice "I thought you said that physical violence was not an appropriate reaction for mild teasing" Umbridge smiled sweetly.

"This was far more than mild teasing, Miss Perks, and I am satisfied that Mr Malfoy's response was not excessive nor untoward" She turned back to Augusta "I am going to see the Headmaster now, and I fully expect him to support my recommendation of having your grandson expelled as soon as he is fit" Augusta stared back at her unflinchingly.

"Is that your final decision, Professor?" She asked coldly.

"Yes" 

"Then, in my position as a senior member of The Wizengamot and liaison to The Board, I will be forced to tell The Wizengamot that you are calling two of the most distinguished members of the Hogwarts staff liars, that you are expelling the son and heir of one of the most powerful and influential Houses in our society based on the word of a few students and that their evidence is not backed up by anything and directly contradicts the two teachers I mentioned before" She smiled "Now - I don't have to make that report, Dolores. But if you continue your witch-hunt against the people I care about, then I can assure you whatever pleasure you get from the minor victories you will have will not outweigh the pain and suffering I will bring down upon your head" Dolores stared back at her, then smiled politely.

"Perhaps I will allow the Headmaster to review this incident further" She said in a soft, simpering tone "After all, if you are going to accuse Mr Malfoy of lying and deliberately assaulting a fellow student, I want to make sure the investigation is done properly" She turned to Flitwick and Sprout "No doubt Professor Dumbledore will want to talk to you in the near future - you will make yourselves available of course"

"Of course" Flitwick and Sprout both nodded curtly.

"Very well" She glanced over at the curtained area, then walked out of the infirmary. 

After she had gone, Augusta walked over to the two teachers, and gave them a grateful smile.

"Thank you - both of you. I have no doubt if you hadn't arrived, this would have ended a lot more badly"

"I am just glad we arrived in time" Sprout replied "And sorry that it got this far"

"It's my fault" Hermione said, hanging her head "I thought IT was going to go after Nissa - it never occurred to me that Xyon would be at risk as well" Augusta sat down next to her, and put her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"It is not your fault, Hermione" She said softly.

"But...." Hermione started, but Augusta put a finger on the young girl's lips.

"Did you beat him? Did you break his arm? Did you send that foul toad of a woman to take Ginny away?" Hermione shook her head "Did you want this to happen? Did you goad that little brat Malfoy in to attacking my grandson?" Hermione shook her head again "Then how is this your fault?" Hermione smiled.

"I'm just sorry he got hurt" She looked up at the bed on the far side of the room "Will he be alright?"

"He'll be fine" Ginny said, coming out from the curtained area "Madam Pomfrey has set his arm, and he'll have to stay here a few days - maybe a week - to make sure that it mends correctly" She glanced at Hermione, then smirked "I've already promised that we will take notes and deliver his homework to and from classes, so he won't miss anything" Hermione laughed. 

"No doubt he was very grateful about that" She said, making Ginny smile.

"Words can not express the look of joy on his face" She replied in a deadpan expression "Madame Longbottom? If you'd like to see him?"

"Thank you Ginny" She paused "And I think that you - all of you - can call me Grams from now on" 

xoxox

"Well done, Mr Malfoy" Draco looked up from his homework and smiled as Robert Gray walked over to the table "You didn't screw that up as badly as I thought you would - thank you"

"You're welcome" Draco replied "So - do I get another shot at Potter now?"

"Not yet, but your time will come" Gray smiled "Oh yes - your time will come very, very soon"


	23. Year 5 - The Eclipse, Part 1 : Night Will Fall.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I rarely do authors notes before a chapter, I feel it is necessary in this instance. The next few chapters mark the climax of the story, and while I am not going to make it a carbon copy of Stephen King's masterpiece, there are times when I will inevitably end up either quoting or paraphrasing some of what he wrote. I intend no copyright infringement or plagiarism (as always), but just placing this as advanced warning for anyone who thinks I am taking liberties :)

".....and the man says 'Yes, but what are the odds of that?'" Neville grinned as Hermione burst in to laughter. 

"Very impressive" She said as her laughter faded "But when did you learn about particle physics and Quantum Theory?" Neville waved his arm - now wrapped in a small, white bandage - at the table by his bed.

"I've been imprisoned in here for nearly a week - I've had time to read quite a lot" Hermione looked over, then smiled and picked up one of the books.

"Quantum Physics for Dummies?" She asked, flicking through it "Where did you get this?"

"I asked Mel to ask your parents to send me some books about the muggle world" He glanced down the length of the infirmary "Once we've done what we have to do, and we move to France, we're going to have to learn more about the muggle world" He gestured to the books again "They sent me a few things, to see what interested me"

"And you ended up looking at theoretical physics?" Hermione asked in surprise "You didn't want to start with something easier? Like solving the akashic records?" Neville laughed.

"I like the numbers - manipulating them and using them to prove one thing or another" He shrugged "Plus you've seen my attempts at creative writing and so on" He tapped the book "Maths is a lot simpler" He paused "And a lot more elegant" Hermione smiled.

"I know some people who would disagree with you, Xy, but who am I to be one of them?" She glanced down the length of the infirmary again "So - when are you being sprung?"

"Madame Pomfrey says I will be able to leave tomorrow" He glanced at his arm "I have to keep this on for another week, but after that I should be fine" He grinned "Just in time for Valentine's Day" 

"I'm sure you and Nissa will have a lot of fun" She grinned "Just - you know - not too much fun"

"Of course" Neville smiled "I've got another joke if you want to hear it?" 

"When do I not?" She folded her hands in her lap "Hit me"

"A neutron walks in to a bar, and walks up to the barman, who's a proton" Neville said "The proton asks him what he wants, and the neutron says 'I'd like a pint of beer'. The proton smiles and says 'For you, no charge'. The neutron says 'Are you sure?' and the proton says 'I'm positive'" 

xoxox

"The fifth years and seventh years have important exams coming up, Professor" 

"I am aware of that Headmaster" Umbridge stared back at Dumbledore "I took those exams myself, and times have not changed that much since I was in school"

"Are you sure about that?" Dumbledore replied, but then added "But setting that aside, are you sure that we should be letting their studies slide for a whole day?"

"Yes, Headmaster, I am" Umbridge nodded "It is one day and I think that all the proper couples in Hogwarts deserve a chance to enjoy themselves" 

"The proper couples?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows curiously.

"The other students can have the day off from their studies, of course - I am not a monster"

"Perish the thought" 

"My mind is made up, Headmaster" Umbridge said in a quiet, firm voice "So I can either do this with your support, or without it" She paused, then smiled sweetly "I would rather my reports to The Minister continue to show your support, Headmaster" 

"If you are sure it is the right idea, you, of course, will have my full support" He paused "I will even let you announce this tomorrow, if you wish?" 

"Thank you, Headmaster - I would be delighted" Dumbledore stared at her for a few moments, then turned on his heel and walked out of her office. 

xoxox

"So - how did the LA meeting go last night?" Neville asked after Hermione had stopped laughing. Unfortunately, it only made Hermione laugh even louder. He stared at her for a few moments, looking confused.

"Sorry, sorry" Hermione waved at him, still laughing "I swear this will make more sense in a moment" She paused, taking a slow deep breath "Okay. Last night we finished up a little early, and I asked if anyone had any questions" 

**flashback**

For a moment, The Room of Requirement was entirely silent, then Cormac raised his hand.

"Yes, Cormac?"

"Is it true that the length of your wand affects how good a mage you are?" He asked. Hermione stared at him for a moment, then - resisting the urge to smirk - turned to Blaise and Harry.

"Farm Boy? Mr Finch? I believe you are probably more qualified to talk about..... wand length than I am" She said, trying not to laugh. Blaise rolled his eyes, but both boys walked to the front of the room.

"There are a lot of opinions on this, but honestly? No - the length of your wand doesn't affect how good or bad a mage you are" He said with a smile "While there are some people who think it affects the amount of power you can put in to a spell, I would hope most of you know better than to associate power with being a good mage or not" There were a few nods "But, to attempt to put this to rest, my wand is ten and three quarter inches" He looked at Hermione "Can you....."

"Room - two targets, thirty feet from the stage, eighteen inches wide" The targets appeared, and Hermione turned back to the two boys "Have at it, my good fellow" Blaise grinned.

"As I was saying, my wand is ten and three quarter inches" He pointed his wand at the target "REDUCTO!" A bolt of red light shot from his wand, and hit the target, blowing it in to bits.

"I think most people would agree I am pretty powerful" He said, making the other students laugh "Now - Farm Boy's wand....." He trailed off as Harry pulled out his wand, flipped it up in the air, reached out to catch it, missed it completely and it clattered to the floor. Blaise stared at it for a moment, then looked back up at the students "....clearly isn't as long as he thought it was" Harry blushed as the room burst in to laughter, but he held his hand up.

"It's long enough to go all the way to the floor" He said with a grin.

**End Flashback**

Neville burst in to laughter as Hermione finished her story, making her grin.

"Well - now that I have brought some light to your life, I have to be going" She smiled "I need a good night's sleep before your celebration tomorrow" Neville stared at her impassively "Okay - seriously - you should take up gambling when we move. You'd clean out every place we go to"

"It's a talent" He smiled "So - are you seeing Viktor tomorrow?" 

"Not tomorrow, no" She shook her head "But with Hogsmeade coming up this weekend, I think he will let me make it up to him" Neville smirked.

"You know how you didn't want to know about your little sister and me?" Hermione nodded "Now imagine you were talking to someone you viewed as a combination of older sister, beloved teacher and mother" Hermione blushed, then laughed.

"I love you too, Xyon dear" She said softly, then stood up "You'd better be out for tomorrow, or this mother-slash-sister-slash-teacher is going to kick your ass up and down the main staircase" She leaned over and kissed his cheek "Get well" 

"Would I dare do otherwise?" He replied with a grin.

xoxox

The next morning, Madame Pomfrey walked up to Neville's bed and looked down at him. 

"Mr Longbottom - how did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you" He smiled "So - am I free to go?"

"How does your arm feel?" She looked at the banged-swathed arm "Any soreness? Stiffness?"

"It gets a little sore when I try to hold it up too long, but I am hoping that a sling or something like that will help?"

"It will, and I'll get one in a moment" She paused, then - with a wave of her hand - caused the infirmary doors to close. Neville looked at her curiously.

"I didn't know you could do wandless magic, Madame Pomfrey"

"I can't" She admitted "But I can hide my wand up my sleeve and do silent magic"

"Your secret is safe with me" He grinned.

"Mr Longbottom, I am aware of the events that lead to you being in here" She said quietly, making Neville's smile fade "And while I understand why nothing is being done about it, I want you to know you have my support"

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey" He smiled.

"You realise that once you leave the hospital wing, I won't be able to protect you" 

"I am aware of that" He nodded "But don't worry, because someone should be coming to get me right about...." He stopped as there was a soft thump from outside the infirmary "....now" 

"So I should probably open the doors then?" She said with a slight twitch of her mouth. He nodded "If you'd like to go behind the screens at the end, your friend Miss Potter-Granger dropped off your uniform last night, and I believe Miss Perks-Black also dropped off some more.... delicate items" She watched as Neville stared at the curtain in confusion, then smiled fondly as a blush crept up his cheeks.

"I'll just get the door" She walked over to the entrance to the infirmary and pulled the doors open to find Hermione and Blaise looking down at Harry, who was sat on the floor rubbing his nose.

"Mr Potter-Granger - are you alright?" She asked politely. Harry looked up at her with a slight frown.

"Why were the doors locked?" He asked.

"I wanted to talk to my patient in private" Pomfrey replied "And, if I might add, most people knock before opening a closed door"

"Told you, little brother" Hermione smirked. 

"Yes, thank you" Harry got to his feet "And next time, I will knock" He paused "If only to prevent more bruises on my bum" 

"We could ask Luna to kiss it better" Blaise said in a sotto whisper, making Harry blush. 

"Is Xyon ready to leave?" He asked quickly, pretending to ignore what his friend had said.

"He's just getting changed" Pomfrey replied "So if you'd like to come in and wait, I am sure he would be most grateful" She turned back and the three of them followed her in to the infirmary. 

A few minutes later, Neville emerged from behind the curtain, and picked his wand up from the bedside table.

"Snidge? Do you have somewhere to put the books?" He asked.

"Of course" She nodded, then summoned the books in to her bag "I'll give them back to you at the end of the day" 

"Thanks" He paused "Did you have to let Bex pick my underwear?" Hermione smiled.

"You'd have preferred Nissa to do it?" She asked.

"At least she's already seen my underwear" Neville replied, then realised all three of them were staring at him with various levels of amusement "Oh it's not like you haven't done the same thing"

"I am pretty sure I can safely say I haven't seen your underwear, Xy" Blaise laughed. 

"Ditto" Hermione added.

"When did my sister see your underwear?" Harry asked.

"Oh shush" Hermione waved her hands at him "Otherwise I'll ask Luna what kind of underwear you wear" Harry went slightly pink "That's what I thought" She looked back at Neville "Are you ready to go to breakfast?"

"Oh god yes" He replied emphatically, making her smile.

"Then may I prevail upon you to escort me there?" 

"Of course" He stuck his arm out, then smiled as Hermione slid her arm in to his. 

"Then we're off to see the wizard" She grinned, then looked at Harry "If you start singing, it will go badly for you"

xoxox

Ginny glanced at the entrance to The Great Hall again, making Luna smiled fondly. 

"Twenty five" Sally whispered. Ginny glanced at her, then looked over at the doors again.

"Twenty six" Luna and Sally said in unison. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I know what you're doing" She said without taking her eyes off the door.

"Sorry" Sally said without sounding remotely apologetic "But you have been spending a lot of time staring at the door" 

"I know" Ginny turned to face them "But he should have been here by now! What if something's happened to him? What if he's lying at the bottom of the main staircase?"

"He's with Jamie, Mr Finch and Snidge" Luna reminded her "Do you really think that they would let anything happen to him?" Ginny stared at her for a moment, then relaxed.

"No - no, they wouldn't" She sighed "I'm sorry. I guess that this whole attack thing just has me worried"

"I know" Sally smiled sympathetically "But he's with his friends - he'll be okay" Ginny smiled.

"I know" She glanced back at the doors, but before either of the other girls could speak, she added "Twenty seven" making them both laugh. A moment later, she got to her feet, and started to walk down The Hall. Sally and Luna watched her, then smiled as Hermione and Neville came through the doors, followed by Harry and Blaise. 

Ginny ran up to Neville, then skidded to a halt.

"I want to throw myself in to your arms, but I'm worried I might break it again" She said, looking him up and down.

"I'd settle for a hug" He said, smiling back at her. She grinned, then pulled him in to a warm hug.

"MISS POTTER-GRANGER!" Professor Umbridge yelled down The Hall, and Ginny - with a roll of her eyes - let Neville go. 

"Come on - lets get some breakfast" He grinned at her, then together the five of them walked back to where Sally and Luna were sitting.

xoxox

Hermione looked around at her friends, then blushed when she realised Luna was staring back at her.

"I thought you didn't like us making a fuss" Luna said with a slight grin. Hermione smiled.

"I was just curious why this year might be different from the last three" She admitted. 

"We were going to do it later on, when certain eyes were not watching our every move" Luna looked up The Hall to where Umbridge was getting to her feet. 

"Ah" Hermione nodded "Not that I am expecting anything, of course"

"Of course"

"If I might have your attention, students" Umbridge's voice cut across their conversation "As you have all been doing so well, and as today is a special day, it has been decided by the staff and The Headmaster, that all classes are to be cancelled, and you may spend the day as you wish - a day of fun, if you will" She paused to let the news sink in.

"In addition, there will be a Valentine's meal for lunch, and, with the help of Minister Scrimgeour and a few of the school's alumni, a Valentine's Ball has been arranged for this evening" Luna watched as Dumbledore turned to stare at Umbridge in surprise "The Ball is arranged to start at six thirty this evening, and dinner will be provided" Umbridge paused, then continued "Finally, I would like to remind you all that the school's morality code is still in effect, and while the dance is open to all couples, you are still expected to behave in an appropriate manner" She smiled, then sat down, leaving the assembled students chattering away.

"A dance? Umbridge is doing something nice?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Are you sure it wasn't Dumbledore moderating her?" Blaise responded, but Luna shook her head.

"He had no idea about it" She said quietly "He might have agreed with the day off from school, but the dance was a complete surprise to him" 

"Umbridge flexing her muscles?" Ginny suggested "Using this as a method of putting him in his place?" Luna nodded.

"So - are we all going to this dance?" She asked, then glanced at Hermione "Do you think they'll let guests come?"

"For anyone else?" Hermione smiled "Almost certainly. For me? Not so much" Luna smiled sympathetically. 

"We can all go stag if you want?" She looked at the other five, who all nodded, but Hermione shook her head.

"I don't want to deprive you of what could be a wonderful night - I'll probably do some studying for the next LA meeting" She noticed the other six exchange glances and rolled her eyes "You're not going to let that happen, are you?"

"Not so much, no" Luna and Harry said in unison, while the others shook their heads. Hermione sighed.

"Fine - I will come along" She smiled "Who knows - maybe there'll be a massive earthquake and I can get out of this"

xoxox

"An entire day without lessons?" Ron and Zach walked down the steps towards The Quad "What can we do?" Zach grinned.

"I'm sure we could find a way to make your sister's life more entertaining"

"She's not...."

"I know - she's not your sister" Zach shook his head "But we can find her and the other losers she hangs around with and make their life hell"

"You could do that" A polite voice said from behind them, making them both turn round "However I believe I have something that will serve you much better" 

"Mr Gray" Zach nodded. 

"Mr Smith, Mr Weasley" Robert Gray nodded.

"What can we do for you?" Ron asked.

"Mr Weasley - I have endeavoured to make you aware of what your continued failures are doing to your sister, and yet you seem entirely indifferent to my concerns"

"Mr Gray...."

"Perhaps you don't care that she is being turned in to a slut - perhaps that is all you think your family is worth?"

"No, but...."

"Or perhaps you believe that you no longer need my help? That you can do it without me?" Gray looked down his nose at Ron "Is that it, Mr Weasley?"

"No, sir" Ron shook his head "I just haven't been able to do anything about it" 

"You haven't TRIED!" Gray yelled the last word, then took a deep breath "Perhaps another demonstration is required, Mr Weasley" He smiled "Dolores has seen fit to grant you all a day of fun. A day that I expect your sister and her friends are going to take full advantage of" He paused "Right now, I believe they are making their way down to the boathouse - a place they can be alone"

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Whatever you want, Mr Weasley" Gray smiled "I am not going to tell you to do anything you don't want to do. I would merely suggest you learn all you can, and make your own choice about your response"

"And what should I do, Mr Gray?" Zach asked.

"For the moment, you can enjoy the day" He paused "Although if Mr Weasley requires your assistance later, I would be very grateful if you would be willing to help him"

"Of course" Zach nodded. Gray smiled at him, then glanced at Ron.

"Mr Weasley" He nodded, then turned and strode away. Zach glanced at Ron, then he too turned and walked in the opposite direction to Mr Gray.

xoxox

"Thank you" Hermione smiled at her friends "And, even though I've said it before, thank you for saving my life last year - if you hadn't been there....." She looked at Neville, whose arm was wrapped in a medical sling.

"But we were" He replied "And we always will be - come hell or waters high, you are stuck with us for good" Hermione blinked back a couple of tears, then smiled again. She looked down at the box in her hands, then looked up again.

"And while I realise what I am about to say is poor thanks for everything you have done for me, and everything you mean to me, but - given that we have an entire day to ourselves - we should use it for a bit of practice" She looked around the group. 

"We don't have our swords" Ginny pointed out.

"True, but I was thinking we should possibly work on the other parts of our plans" She looked at Luna "The army of the dead" She turned to Sally "Our minds eyes" Then finally she looked back at Ginny "And making our beliefs manifest" She paused "Look - I know this is supposed to be a day off, but we are running out of days....."

"A day off" Luna murmured. Hermione looked at her curiously. 

"GW?"

"Professor Umbridge didn't tell us that we had a day off" Luna said softly "She said we had a day of fun" She looked at Hermione "A day of fun, Hermione" Hermione blinked.

"Oh god" Hermione replied, then sighed "Well - if today is the day of fun, then I'd say it is even more imperative that we try to get things sorted out" She looked around at the faces of her her friends - now all looking serious "So - any objections?"

xoxox

Ron looked around, then walked down the grounds towards where the new boathouse had been built. 

He looked at the door, then he pushed himself against the side wall, and crept down the length of it towards where it opened on to the water.

When he got to the end, he peered round the corner and into the boathouse itself.

xoxox

"That went well" Blaise said, looking up in to Ginny's eyes. She blushed slightly, then pushed herself up off him. 

"Sorry" She grinned, then kissed him on the cheek "I wasn't watching my footing"

"Don't worry about it" He smiled fondly at her, then looked over at Hermione "I think that worked pretty well for a first attempt - apart from Nissa's little stumble" Hermione smiled.

"It was very impressive" She nodded "And I think if we try something slightly different...." She took hold of Ginny's hand and lead her over to stand in front of Harry "Okay - try it again, but this time really concentrate on what you mean to each other, and what you want to do" Ginny reached out and took Harry's hands, and then they stared in to each others eyes.

xoxox

Ron leaned back against the side wall, shaking his head in disgust. He walked back along the length of the boathouse, and then moved in to the bushes near the steps.

Pressing himself back against the wall, he settled in to wait for them to come out.

xoxox

"So - we're all agreed?" Hermione looked around the group "GW - can you write up a version of this we can use if we need it?"

"Of course" Luna nodded.

"Then, for now, I think we are done" She glanced down at herself "Which is probably a good thing, because I think I need a shower" 

"Yes" Ginny nodded. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Thank you"

"You're welcome" Ginny grinned at her. 

"So - we all go shower, then meet up for lunch?" 

"What if today is the day?" Blaise asked "Should we really split up?" 

"The Room can provide showers for each of us - we don't have to split up" Hermione replied with a grin "And we can also get our swords while we're at it" She paused "Okay - before we go, one last quick game....."

xoxox

Ron adjusted his position, then looked up as the door to the boathouse opened. 

A moment later, Harry and Blaise came out, helping a limping Sally between them.

"Can I say again with the sorry?" Ginny said, walking behind them "If I'd known Bex was going to jump on you, I wouldn't have got between you" Sally glanced over her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Nissa" She said, then winced as she put her left foot down "I shouldn't have tried to take your brother by surprise"

"I didn't mind" Harry grinned "Plus having the two of you on top of me stopped Hermione getting to me" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Bex - do you need to see Madame Pomfrey?" She asked in a slightly concerned voice.

"No - no thanks" Sally shook her head "I think once we get into the shower, it'll be fine" She winced again "Assuming someone can give me a hand" Blaise and Harry smirked, but then their faces became serious as Hermione glared at them.

"I'll help you, Bex" Luna replied "You won't have to put up with these two....." Their voices faded as they walked away, leaving Ron crouching in the bushes, staring after them.

"I'll make her pay" He said under his breath "I'LL MAKE HER PAY!" He got slowly to his feet, then - making sure the seven friends were out of sight - he walked off in the other direction.

xoxox

"Ron" Zach nodded as Ron walked towards him "Did you find out what you needed?"

"Get the others" Ron said quickly "The Granger bitch is heading up to the top corridor with the others. I'm going to get Ginny, but I need you to keep the rest of them busy" Zach stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"We'll be there" Ron smiled.

"Good. Because it is time" 

"Time for what?"

"Time for her to find out what happens when you screw over a Weasley"

xoxox

"After we're done in The Room, no one goes anywhere alone" Hermione said as they made their way down the corridor towards the main stairs "If you need the loo, someone goes with you" She looked over at Blaise "If it doesn't happen before bed, then we'll find somewhere for all of us to sleep"

"Yes, boss" He nodded "Trust me - I don't want to go back to the dungeon any more than you do"

xoxox

Ron eased himself round the corridor, then he slowly pulled out his wand. 

Ginny was lagging behind the others, apparently keeping an eye out for some sort of attack. 

Pointing his wand at her feet, he whispered a quiet spell.

xoxox

Ginny glanced down to see her laces had come undone. She quickly knelt down, and started tying them again. 

xoxox

Ron cast a silencing spell around him, then slowly walked up behind his former sister, waiting for the others to vanish round the corner. 

As they did, he increased his stride until he was right behind Ginny. 

xoxox

Ginny finished tying her laces, then froze as she felt something behind her.

"Hello, sis" A voice whispered, then she felt a hand across her mouth. 

xoxox

"Nissa - are you sure you want to call on Tom?" Hermione asked, then came to a halt when there was no reply. She turned round, and her eyes widened.

"Where's Nissa?" She asked. The others all looked round, panic spreading through the group. 

"She was just here" Neville said.

"We should go look for her" Harry added. Hermione nodded.

"What's the matter, Granger? Lost something?" A slow, drawling voice came from the top of the stairs "For someone so smart, you can be so dumb at times"

"Where is she, Draco?" Hermione snapped "If you've done anything to her, I'll....."

"You'll what?" Draco, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, walked down the steps "You'll hurt me? Kill me?" He shook his head "I remember when mudbloods knew their place" 

"Where. Is. She" Hermione repeated.

"Why should I tell you?" Draco smirked. Hermione stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. 

"I don't have time for this" She span on her heel, only to come face to face with Zach, Pansy and Daphne. 

"You aren't going, are you Granger?" Zach said with a leering grin "After all - we have so much to discuss"

xoxox

Ron kicked the door to the classroom open and then pushed Ginny inside. She stumbled, then fell to the floor, wincing as she did.

"So, little sister - I thought we should talk" He said in a quiet, menacing voice. Ginny stared up at him, her eyes not quite able to hide the fear that was growing inside her.

xoxox

Hermione glanced around, then looked back at Draco.

"Tell us where she is, or I won't be responsible for what happens" She said quietly. Draco stared at her for a moment, then started to laugh.

"You are threatening us?" He said, still smiling "You and your band of misfits are threatening us?" He waved his hands "What do you think you can do? There are ten of us, and only six of you!"

"If you want to go and get some more people to make it a fair fight, feel free" Neville said. Draco looked at him, then laughed again.

"So Drippy is all grown up?" He asked with a smirk "I'm going to enjoy breaking you" He paused, then - with an amused sneer - added "Again"

"We don't want any trouble Draco" Hermione said "Just tell us where our friend is, and we'll leave you be"

"No" Draco smiled "So - what are you going to do about it, mudblood?"

xoxox

"What do you want, Ronald?" Ginny asked, trying to keep her voice calm. 

"Like I said - I thought we should talk" He started pacing back and forth "I know what you've been doing, Ginny - I've seen you"

"Seen me?"

"He told me - he told me where to look and what to see" Ron continued as if she hadn't spoken "I didn't believe him at first, but after today...." He span round to face her "I've seen you - whoring it up with your friends?" Ginny's eyes widened slightly, but Ron went back to pacing. When his back was turned, she slipped her hand in to her robes, and triggered her communicator crystal.

"Who told you, Ronald?" She asked "Who's been talking to you?" Ron stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, slut" He snapped "What matters is what you've been doing" He threw his hands in the air "Screwing that drippy Hufflepuff is bad enough, but letting yourself be used by Potter? By a SLYTHERIN?" He took a step forward and slapped her "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

xoxox

The sound of a slap came from Hermione's pocket, making her wince. She glanced at her friends, all of whom had heard the same thing. One by one, they all gave a single nod. 

"Draco - you have to learn to pick your targets. Because while you might think you have forever, the truth is you are only going to get one shot at what you want, and if you don't do it right, you'll be sorry" Draco stared at her in confusion. 

"What are you on about....."

"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"  
"STUPEFY!"

xoxox

Ginny put her hand to her cheek - stinging from the impact of Ron's slap - then stared up at him defiantly. 

"So that's it?" She asked with a sneer "You are going to teach me a lesson by beating me?" She shook her head "Pathetic" Ron stared at her for a moment, then grabbed her and threw her again the wall. 

She let out a moan, then slid to the ground.

"Maybe you're right" He said softly, staring at her intently "Maybe hitting you won't bring you round" He took a step back, then pulled his outer robe off. 

"I mean - since you enjoy being a slut for your friends, maybe that's the only thing you understand now" He gazed down at her, then pulled his jumper off. 

xoxox

"Bex, Finch - Charms corridor. Xyon, GW - the back route to the greenhouses" Hermione barked out orders to her friends "Farm Boy - with me - we're going back the way we came" She looked at the other four "First one to find her, shout" 

"Yes boss" Luna and Neville ran off down the left corridor, while Sally and Blaise headed off down the right. Hermione turned to Harry. 

"Lets go"

xoxox

Ginny stared at Ron in fear as he started to undress. 

"Ron - this person you've been talking to.... he's not human" She said "He's a monster - he wants you to kill me, because he knows I can kill him" Ron paused for a second, then shook his head.

"He told me what I'd find - he's never been wrong" He said, dropping his jumper on the floor "He told me I could save you if I tried - that you could be brought back to the fold" 

"Who told you?" She pushed.

"Doesn't matter" Ron snapped. He started to undo his belt, then stopped "Take your clothes off" Ginny flinched, but then stared back at him defiantly. He took a step forward and raised his hand "I said take your...."

"DEPLUSO!" Harry's bellow filled the room. Ron turned just in time to see a dark blue ball of light shooting towards him, then he went flying across the room and crashed in to the far wall and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Oh god" Ginny exclaimed, then she jumped to her feet and bolted across the room, throwing herself in to Hermione's arms. 

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine" Ginny said, burying her head in Hermione's chest "But he was going to....." She trailed off, then burst in to tears.

"We've got to go" Harry said urgently "I don't want to be here when he wakes up, and I don't want anyone else to find us" Hermione nodded, then - together, they lead Ginny out of the classroom and down the corridor.

xoxox

Ron blinked, then moaned, then sat up and looked around the empty classroom.

"That bastard....." He said, then winced as he felt the pain fill his head. Raising his hand, he touched it to his temple and felt the blood running down his cheek "That bastard!!"

He jumped to his feet, and without stopping to pick up any of his discarded clothes, he ran out of the classroom and towards the main doors.

xoxox

Bob Gray leaned against the tree, smiling slightly as Ron strode angrily towards him. 

While he didn't know exactly what had happened, it looked like the boy had done what Gray needed him to do. 

"You've got to help me!" Ron exclaimed as he stopped in front of Gray. 

"Have I?" Gray raised his eyebrows curiously "May I ask why?"

"They'll tell someone! They'll tell them what I tried to do!" Ron continued to rant "The aurors will come! My family.... what will my parents say?"

"That is not my concern" Gray smiled "I told you you could bring your sister back to the fold, and instead you decided to attack her? To beat and assault her?" 

"You told me to....." Ron started. 

"I told you to what?" Gray asked quietly. Ron stared at him, then he wilted, his face becoming dejected and sad.

"So you're not going to help me?" He asked. Gray looked at him thoughtfully.

"There is a way I can help you, but you might not like it" He said after a moment.

"Anything...... I'll do anything...." Ron said desperately. 

"Very well" Gray smiled "In that case, I....." He stopped suddenly, looking up in surprise as the sky went dark. Ron turned and looked up as well, gasping in shock as the moon drifted in front of the sun, plunging the world in to shadow.

"What's going on...." He turned back to face Gray, only to find that Gray had vanished. 

In his place was a clown in a silver suit with orange buttons. 

"What the hell...." He stared at the clown in utter disbelief "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Pennywise, the dancing clown - also known as Robert Gray" The clown grinned at him "And - as I promised - I am going to help you"

"You are?" Ron asked hesitantly, the first stirrings of fear rising in his chest.

"Oh yes" The clown nodded "I can make sure that no one will punish you for what you did - not the aurors, not the Headmaster, not your family" 

"You can?" 

"Yes, I can" The clown nodded "Would you like that?" 

"Oh yes!" Ron nodded "But how? How can you do it?" The clown grinned at him.

"Like this!" Pennywise leapt forward, and the last thing Ron saw before it all went black was two rows of razor sharp teeth, bending towards his neck.

**(to be continued)**


	24. Year 5 - The Eclipse, Part 2 : .... And The Dark Will Rise

Staring across the shadow enshrouded lake, Ginny couldn't help but give an involuntary shiver at the images in her head.

It had been two hours since her brother and sister had rescued her from Ron's attempt to rape her, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that he was still going to come for her - that any moment now, she would feel his hand slip across her mouth and she would find herself back in the room.

A moment later, she jumped as she felt two arms encircle her.

"I'm here, Nissa - there's nothing to fear" Hermione's voice whispered in her ear, and almost at once Ginny found herself relaxing. 

"He's still there" She said softly as Hermione pulled her back against her chest "He's going to find me....." 

"Shhhhhhh" Hermione whispered, lifting one hand to stroke the young girl's hair "He'll never get to you again, Gin - I promise you"

"How can you be so sure?" Ginny asked, fear tingeing her voice "He got to me before...."

"I know" Hermione continued to stroke Ginny's hair "I know that I failed you, and I'm sorr....." Ginny broke free of her arms and span round to face her older sister.

"Don't!" She almost screamed. Hermione stared at her "Don't apologise for something you didn't do" She grabbed her sister's arms "Did you tell him to get me? To hit me? To try to rape me?" 

"No, but I promised to keep you safe, and I failed" Hermione dropped her head, staring at the ground "I failed you...." Before she could finish, Ginny interrupted her again, this time by pulling her in to a strong hug.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me" She said with quiet intensity "If I hadn't met you - if you hadn't become my friend - I don't know what I would have done" She paused "I'd probably still be serving Tom's bidding - slaughtering all the mudbloods with a song in my heart and a smile on my face" She felt Hermione smile.

"I love you, Hermione Jane Potter-Granger" Ginny said softly "Never doubt that, and never, ever think that I will blame you for this - for this or anything else that might be coming" She pulled back to find tears in Hermione's eyes.

"Some day of fun this is turning out to be" Hermione said chokingly. Ginny laughed - the first genuine laugh she had laughed since her encounter with Ron. 

"You want fun?" She asked, then glanced out over the lake "How about a game of catch with Esmerelda out there?" Hermione followed her sister's gaze to where the giant squid was lazily propelling herself back and forth across the surface of the lake.

"With what?" Hermione looked around "I mean - I know she likes playing with fruit and occasionally quaffles, but we seem to be lacking those at the moment" She glanced at the floor "I would suggest one of the rocks, but if we just throw a rock at her, she might take it badly" Ginny looked around thoughtfully, then smiled.

"Are you a witch or not?" She asked, then she pulled out her wand "Tarvasa Nedex" The nearest rock changed in to a giant red quaffle. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well - if you're going to cheat!" She laughed, then transfigured another rock in to a quaffle and picked it up "So - how do we get Esmerelda's attention?" Ginny looked at her, shrugged, then turned and flung the quaffle across the lake as hard as she could. Hermione watched as it flew towards the squid, and for a few seconds she thought the quaffle was going to bash it on the nose. But then a large tentacle flicked up, intercepted it and flung it back towards Ginny. She took two steps back, then jumped up and caught it. 

"So - are you going to play as well?" She asked, smiling slightly. Hermione smiled back, happy to see the expression on her sister's face. 

"Yarrrrrrrr!" She grinned, then turned and flung the quaffle over the lake.

xoxox

Neville paced back and forth in the garden behind the greenhouses, while Sally and Blaise watched him from a bench.

"How do you think he's doing?" Sally asked quietly, watching as Neville continued to pace.

"I think he is torn between going to find Nissa, and going to find Weasley" Blaise replied in the same, quiet voice "Either way, we should be ready to go with him" Sally slipped her hand in to his, and smiled.

"I will follow you anywhere, love of my love" She said quietly, then leaned against the back of the bench, looking up to the moon covered sun "God it's dark"

"Do you think she's okay?" Neville span round to face them, his face serious "Shouldn't I be with her?"

"She just needs some time to work through it" Sally replied "And I know you love her, and want to go to her, but...."

"I know" Neville held up his hands "I know"

**Flashback**

Luna looked up from the crystal in to Neville's face.

"They've found her. They should be coming out in to The Quad" She set off running, Neville only two steps behind her.

Two minutes later, they saw Harry, Hermione and Ginny walking out in to the stone circle. 

"Mel...." Neville called out, but he stopped when Harry broke away from the other two and walked over to where Luna and Neville were stood "Farm Boy?"

"She's okay...." Harry said quietly "Ron took her to an empty classroom and slapped her" Luna felt her hand tighten in to a fist.

"Can I....." Neville asked, but harry held up his hand.

"When Snidge and I arrived, Ron was taking his clothes off" Harry said in a whisper "And he was about to strip her as well" Neville's eyes flashed with anger, while Luna simply closed hers.

"He didn't get anywhere near her - I blasted him across the room and we got Nissa out of there" Harry continued "But, as you can imagine, she is a little shaken up, and she and Snidge are going to take a little time to themselves" Neville glanced over at the two sisters, then nodded.

"But she's okay? He didn't hurt her?" He asked.

"Not physically, no" Harry shook his head "But Hermione will look after her, and give her the help she needs"

"I know" Neville smiled "I just worry"

"So do I" Harry returned his smile "But Snidge will know what to do" 

**End Flashback**

Neville sighed, then looked at his two friends.

"You must have something better to do than babysit me" He said with a weary smile.

"We're not going to let you go wandering in the grounds alone" Blaise said, straightening up.

"Even if I swear I won't go after Ronald?" He said, letting an amused smile cross his lips.

"What about the other Slappies?" Sally asked. Neville snapped his fingers.

"Darn - I was hoping you wouldn't notice the loophole" He sighed "I'm not going to go after them - I promise - I am just worried about Snidge and Mel being out there alone"

"What about Farm Boy and GW?" Blaise asked.

"Ron isn't out to kill them" Neville replied.

"You think he'd go that far?" Both Blaise and Sally sat up straight, glancing at each other in surprise.

"I think anyone who tries to rape their sister doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt" Neville replied "We should either find the others and stick together, or we should find Ronald and make sure he can't hurt them" Blaise and Sally exchanged glances, then they both stood up.

"Okay - but we'll start with Farm Boy and Galinda" Sally said, pulling her wand out and slipping it in to her belt. Neville smiled.

"Okay" 

xoxox

"Do eclipses normally last this long?" Harry asked, looking up through the trees at the moon-covered sun. Luna shrugged.

"I haven't seen one before, but it does seem to be unusual" She paused "Do you think that it is IT?" Harry smiled.

"You know, if people heard you talking like that, they would think you were a bit crazy" Luna gave him a playful shove.

"I AM a bit crazy" She said with a smile "I thought that's what you liked about me?" He smiled back, but then his happy expression faded "Jamie?"

"He's going to tell someone" Harry said quietly. He stopped, and turned to look at her. For a moment, he paused - thinking how beautiful she looked amongst the trees - then he continued "Ron - he's going to tell someone I attacked him - that I blasted him across the room"

"What's he going to say?" Luna asked "Professor Umbridge - Potter attacked me while I was trying to strip his sister naked and rape her?"

"He'll find a way" Harry whispered "Or he'll say he was teaching Nissa a lesson in proper behaviour and the correct way for a pureblood daughter to act in our society" He looked up at her "Who do you think Umbridge will believe? One of the most senior members of The Slappies or a muggle-born who has defied her time and again?"

"We have friends" Luna replied, trying to cheer him up "Professors Sprout and Flitwick won't let her just railroad you - they'll stick up for you"

"She'll destroy them too" He shook his head "She has the whole of the government behind her, Lin - a government that hates me, my family and my friends"

"Then it will go to trial, and you can ask for veritaserum to be administered" Luna squeezed his hand "You did nothing wrong, my love, and the truth will always out" Harry stared at her for a moment, then a faint smile crossed his face.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" He said softly, then smiled as a wide grin cross her face.

"No, but I am sure it will....." She faltered, an expression of disquiet growing on her face. Harry stepped forward and pulled her in to a hug.

"My god, you're shivering" He said, engulfing her in his arms "Lu - what's wrong?"

"It's....." She raised her head from his chest and looked around "It's this place. There's something dark - something wrong" She slipped out of his arms and looked around again, then she focused on one tree - one that was right on the edge of The Forest "It's that tree" She said quietly.

"That tree?" He stared at it curiously, making her blush.

"It's evil" She continued in the same quiet voice "It's like.... it's like something crawled out of the ground and died there" She paused "It stinks of darkness and of despair" He slipped his arms around her and moved so her back was against his chest.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" He whispered, not taking his eyes of the tree she had pointed to. She started to nod, then stopped in mid motion. 

"Jamie - do you see....."

"What I see?" He asked with a smile, but she didn't return it. Instead she started walking forwards, hesitantly at first, but soon she was striding towards the tree with a definite purpose. Harry drew his wand and followed her.

xoxox

"Waaah!" Ginny fell backwards, then threw up her arms as a quaffle fell down towards her face. She deflected it to the side, then pushed herself up on her elbows to find Hermione grinning insanely at her. 

"You know - a good sister would show some concern for the fact her younger sibling just fell on her arse and nearly got hit in the face with a quaffle" Ginny said with a pout.

I said I was a good leader and a good friend" Hermione shrugged, still grinning "Never said I was a good sister... oof!" Ginny burst out laughing as the quaffle bounced off the back of Hermione's head and fell to the ground. 

"Karma's a bitch, isn't she?" Ginny laughed again, then slowly got to her feet. 

"If I didn't think I'd regret it, I'd fling a dozen quaffles at her head right now" Hermione said with a sigh. She picked up the quaffle, and turned back to the lake "You hear me, Squidlet? You will RUE THE DAY!" As if in response, the squid squirted a jet of water up in to the air, then pushed herself away and vanished in to the distance.

"She must have heard you" Ginny said, walking up beside her. Hermione grinned at the expression on her face, happy that her earlier worries were fading a little.

"We'll get her next time" Hermione said emphatically "She will rue the day!"

"Rue the day!" Ginny echoed her sister's cry as together they stared out across The Black Lake.

xoxox

"Mr Gray" Draco nodded politely as Bob Gray walked up to him.

"I have a task - one you will enjoy. You and your friends should go to The Forbidden Forest, between the grounds keeper's hut and the lake"

"May I ask why?" 

"There you will find what you have been waiting for, Mr Malfoy - something you have been waiting for a long, long time" Draco stared up at him, then smiled, turned and walked back to where the rest of The SLP were sat, some looking up at the eclipse, others just talking quietly. 

"Guys - lets go" 

xoxox

Harry caught up with Luna as she reached the tree, and realised she wasn't staring directly at it - as he had first thought - but instead at the ground just beyond it. 

"What...." He started, then he trailed off as the lump of material she was staring at suddenly came in to focus.

"It's a body" She said flatly. Harry nodded, then took a step forward, but Luna put her arm out.

"Hon?"

"I think....." She started, then bit her lip. Raising her hand, she pointed at one end of the body. Harry looked, then let out a soft groan as he saw the tufts of red hair sticking out.

"We should check" He said. She looked at him, then nodded. Taking her hand, they walked over to where the body lay.

For a moment, they both stared down at it, then Luna slowly drew her wand and and levitated the body, turning it over and lowering it down on to its back.

"Oh dear" She sighed, then looked up at her boyfriend "You know how this will look" He nodded "So - what should we do?"

"I think you should put your wands on the ground and back away" A voice came from behind them. They both turned to see Draco and the rest of The SLP watching them, all with their wands drawn.

"I suppose that telling you this is not what it looks like won't do any good?" Harry said in a resigned tone.

"Weasley tried to hurt your sister and now you've been found standing over his dead body with your wand drawn" Draco grinned wickedly at him "I've got you Potter - I've finally got you" He glanced at Crabbe "Keep an eye on him - I'm going to contact Professor Umbridge and let her know what we've found" 

xoxox

Umbridge looked up as the silver ball streaked in to her office and resolved in to a small ferret. 

"Professor - we've found Ronald Weasley - he's been murdered and mutilated. We found Lovegood and Potter stood over his body with their wands drawn. When we arrived, they turned their wands on us. What do you want to do?" 

Umbridge stared at the image of the ferret for a moment, then a smile crossed her face, and she got to her feet. 

xoxox

Harry and Luna stood quietly as the silver streak turned in to a small kitten.

"Keep them there. Someone will be along to take them in to custody, once we have rounded up the rest of their pitiful gang of rebels" The kitten paused "And well done, Mr Malfoy - well done indeed" Draco smiled widely as the kitten vanished, then raised his wand again.

"This is the end, Potter - you and your pathetic little band of losers are done" He said smugly "You'll be expelled and sent to Azkaban before nightfall" 

"Night's already fallen" Luna said, nodding up at the moon above them. Draco stared her in surprise.

"Do you not get what's happening, Loony?" He asked. 

"We know exactly what is happening" Harry replied quietly "And if you have any brains, you will let us go" He took a step forward, making every Slappy point their wand at him "You will let us go so we can warn our friends, otherwise everyone - you, Umbridge and ever single person in this school - will most likely be dead by morning" Draco stared at her for a moment, then he threw his head back and laughed.

"Sorry, Potter, but I have my orders" He grinned "The fact I'm going to have a lot of fun doing it just a bonus" Harry stared at him, then took a step back, moving next to Luna again. 

"Just remember - I warned you, and I gave you a chance" He paused, then he closed his eyes "+My Love, When I say go, set fire to the ground in front of them+" He opened his eyes to see Luna give an almost imperceptible nod. He looked forward again, almost smiling at the confused looks now appearing on the faces of the people in front of him, then he took a deep breath.

"+NOW+"

xoxox

Five minutes later, they ran up to the stone circle, and paused to catch their breath. 

"We have..... we have to tell the others" Harry panted, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone was following them. 

"I know" Luna leaned against The Fadder Stone, taking deep breaths "Umbridge will be after them" Harry nodded, then drew his wand. 

xoxox

"We should be going in soon" Ginny said. Hermione smiled.

"Wouldn't want you to miss your date with Xyon now, would we?" She asked in teasing voice, then regretted it when Ginny's expression suddenly became apprehensive.

"Do you think he's forgiven me?" She asked almost silently, tears tingeing her eyes. Hermione's eyes welled up almost at once, and she pulled Ginny in to a tight hug.

"He knows why you did it, Nis" She said softly "He is the most caring, loving person I know"

"I know, but I pushed him away...."

"Do you think he'll reject you? Break up with you? Tell you he never wants to see you again?" Hermione asked, and Ginny shook her head "I know you're worried, Nis, but there is nothing to worry about" There was a flash of silver light, and a moment later a spectral image of Hermione stood in front of them.

"Ron's been murdered. Umbridge on the way to find you and arrest you. Be careful and come home safe" The silvery version of Hermione vanished, leaving Ginny and the real Hermione staring in to empty space.

"Okay - so maybe there is something to worry about"

xoxox

"Ron's been murdered. Umbridge is on the way to find you and arrest you. Be careful and come home safe" The silvery image of Hermione blinked out, leaving Neville, Sally and Blaise staring at each other in disbelief.

"We have to find Snidge and Mel" Neville said urgently "If Umbridge knows what happened in the classroom, then she is going to go after them first" Blaise and Sally both nodded, both drawing their wands.

"Can we use the amulets?" Sally asked, pulling her necklace out of the front of her robes "It would be quicker"

"What if she's not alone?" Blaise pointed out "If the three of us suddenly appear and Umbridge is already there...." Sally sighed, then nodded.

"So we do this the hard way" She raised her wand "Point me Snidge" A beam of light shot out of her wand, heading towards the lake "Okay.... lets go"

"I think not, Miss Perks" Sally looked round to see McGonagall, Snape and Sprout striding across the grounds towards them.

"Professor McGonagall - whatever it is, it will have to wait...."

"Miss Perks, I have been instructed by The High Inquisitor and The Headmaster to bring you to his office" McGonagall's face was serious "They want to question you in connection with the death of one of the students"

"Someone's died?" Sally asked in surprise. Snape sneered at her.

"You mean you don't know what your boss is doing?" He asked, still sneering "Perhaps she doesn't trust you as much as you think she does"

"What are you talking about?" Blaise moved slightly, putting himself between Snape and Sally.

"Professor Umbridge believes that - following Ron's attempt to talk Ginny in to coming back to her family - Hermione took it badly and beat the living crap out of him, and then - with Harry - tortured him to death" Sprout said carefully. 

"It wasn't her" Neville said, taking a step forward "After Ron attacked and tried to rape Ginny, I lost my temper and confronted Ron" He paused "I may have gone a little too far in teaching him a lesson"

"You?" Snape asked with a sneer "You beat up and killed another student?" He laughed derisively "Oh please!"

"You don't think I can do it?" Neville drew his wand, but Sally put her hand on his arm, preventing him from raising it.

"Professor McGonagall - you can't possibly believe that Hermione killed anyone, let alone someone like Weasley" She said, looking back at the three staff members in front of her "You know that Umbridge is trying to set us up so she can get rid of Hermione"

"Professor Umbridge" McGonagall responded "And these instructions have come from The Headmaster as well" She gave Sally a sickly-sweet smile "Are you suggesting he is lying as well?" Sally decided not to give her opinion on that point, and instead looked at Sprout.

"Professor - whether you believe them or you believe us, I'm reckoning that you know the right thing to do" She said, starting directly at her Head of House, hoping Sprout would get the message. Sprout stared back for a moment, then took a slight step back.

"Enough!" Snape snapped at them "All three of you - put your wands on the ground and your hands in the air" 

"And if we don't?" Blaise replied calmly. Snape drew his want and pointed it at Neville's head.

"Then we will...."

"STUPEFY!STUPEFY!" McGonagall and Snape collapsed as the stunning spells hit them in the back. Sprout looked at them, then cast another two stunning spells, making the three students look at her in surprise "Never hurts to be sure" She said with a grin.

"Will get you in trouble?" Sally asked. Sprout smiled.

"I might be able to convince them that someone else - someone I didn't see and couldn't stop - stunned them" She said with a sly grin "But now you should go. Your friends will need you, and if you are right - if this is the start of The Reckoning - then you have more to worry about than what happens to me" Sally smiled, then walked over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Our Houses are in your debt, Professor, and should you ever need our help, you only need to ask" She said sincerely.

"Thank you" Sprout smiled "Now - go!"

xoxox

Hermione and Ginny raced through the grounds, heading towards The Quad. 

"Are you sure they meant The Clubhouse?" Ginny asked, panting slightly as they started up a hill.

"If this is it - if we are about to go into the black - then that's where we'd start from" Hermione nodded "Hopefully the others are there safely....." 

"Others?" A high-pitched voice came from behind them, forcing them to stop and turn around. Umbridge smiled politely at her "Would those be the rest of your minions, Miss Granger?" 

"They are my friends, Professor" Hermione said calmly, glancing momentarily at Dumbledore and Flitwick "I know the concept is entirely alien to you, but some people in our world make associations without expecting anything back from them" 

"Very droll, Miss Granger" Umbridge replied, not changing her tone "Perhaps that sense of humour will keep you entertained in your cell" 

"Her cell?" Ginny asked in surprise "Have you made being rude to you a crime now, Madame Inquisitor?"

"I would suggest you watch that attitude, Miss Potter-Granger" Dumbledore said sincerely "Your flippancy will not help your sister"

"And why do I need help, Headmaster?" Hermione asked "Aside from the persistent, uncalled for persecution by certain members of staff and the whole of our government, my life is fairly easy"

"Ronald Weasley has been found dead" Flitwick said before either of the other adults could speak "And certain members of staff are under the impression that it was you, Miss Potter-Granger, who killed him" 

"Why would I kill him?" Hermione asked.

"Because he was going to report you for attacking him earlier today" Umbridge said smugly "You, Weasley here and the Potter boy beat him up over some imagined slight, and then - when you realised how much trouble you were in, you caught up with him, tortured him to death and dumped his body in the forest" She raised her wand, pointing it at Hermione's head. Hermione simply stared back at her.

"If you had any proof, you would have summoned the aurors" She said after a moment, then looked at Dumbledore "Professor - are you really going to let her do this?" 

"A student is dead, Miss Potter-Granger, and according to several witnesses, you, your brother and your sister were the last people to see him" Dumbledore gazed at her over the top of his glasses "As a consequence, I do not think it is unreasonable that you, and your associates, come to my office to answer some questions about this matter"

"May I ask the names of the witnesses?" Ginny asked.

"So you can kill them as well?" Umbridge shook her head "No, Miss Weasley - you and the rest of your misbegotten family have done enough, and I will not let you harm anyone else" She smiled "Now - hand over your wands and come with us" 

"No" Hermione shook her head.

"No?" Umbridge stared at her in surprise "What do you mean no?"

"Which part of the word is giving you trouble, Professor?" Ginny asked in a patronising tone, then she bit her lip as she realised Flitwick was trying not to laugh.

"Miss Potter-Granger, I do not think you fully understand the position you are in" Dumbledore said calmly.

"I understand my position quite clearly, Headmaster" Hermione replied "But if you want us to come to your office, you are going to have to force us" She and Ginny drew their wands "And believe me, we will not come quietly" Dumbledore stared at them for a moment, then smiled warmly.

"If we were to summon the aurors, would you be more willing to cooperate?" He asked politely, but before Hermione could reply, Umbridge pointed her wand at Ginny.

"Enough of this!" She exclaimed "Drop your wands and come with us"

"Or what?" Ginny yelled back. Umbridge grinned manically at her.

"CRUCI...."  
"STUPEFY!" 

Flitwick's stunning spell blasted Umbridge off her feet, sending her crashing to the ground. Dumbledore span round to find his charm's professor pointing his wand at his heart.

"Filius?" Dumbledore stared at him in confusion, then slowly began to reach for his wand.

"I've been your friend and mentor since you first came here, Albus, but if you touch your wand, or make any sudden moves, I will drop you where you stand" Dumbledore froze, then slowly relaxed his hands. Flitwick looked past him to where Ginny and Hermione were staring at him in utter bemusement.

"Girls - go" Flitwick said, not taking his eyes off Dumbledore. Hermione glanced at The Headmaster, then nodded.

"Thank you, Filius" She said softly, then she and Ginny took off, running past him in to the castle. Flitwick waited until they were out of sight, then he lowered his wand slightly.

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because you have to do what is right, not what is easy" Flitwick replied simply "Now - you are going to let me return to the castle, then you can wake up Dolores and decide what you want to do about my betrayal" Before Dumbledore could reply, Flitwick turned on the spot and vanished.

xoxox

"They are all downstairs" Myrtle said seriously as Hermione and Ginny ran in to her bathroom "They are all safe" She paused, then looked at Ginny "My condolences, Miss Potter-Granger" Ginny nodded once, then looked at Hermione.

"Thank you, Myrtle" Hermione said, smiling slightly "My family owes you a debt of gratitude, and while I have no idea how we can repay it - what with you being a ghost and all - if there is anything you want, or need, just ask" She paused "And, on a personal note, I would just like to say how much I appreciate the friendship you have shown me since I arrived - it means the world to me, and I will miss it greatly" Myrtle floated up to her, lowering herself so they were face to face.

"So this is it? The Reckoning?" She asked. Hermione nodded.

"My sister and I are going to join our friends, and then the seven of us are going into the black" She paused "One way or another, I believe this is the last time we will see each other" Myrtle nodded, then gave a deep bow.

"Be safe" She said quietly, then slowly faded in to nothing. Hermione looked at Ginny, then together they walked over to the taps.

xoxox

Ten minutes later, they walked in to The Chamber to find themselves engulfed in a group hug. 

Hermione let it continue for a few moments, then slowly straightened up. 

"We need to talk"

xoxox

Flitwick looked down the corridor, then smiled as he saw Sprout walking towards him.

"You have been put on the mat as well?" He asked with a grin.

"It seems that stunning two of your colleagues in the back is frowned upon nowadays" She smiled back "What are you in for?"

"I blasted Umbridge off her feet and threatened to attack Albus" Flitwick replied.

"Seriously?" 

"No - with gay abandon" Flitwick grinned "However, I suspect that while we might be in some trouble, we are not being called here for punishment, but to be given another chance" 

"Another chance to do what? Turn on the most brilliant and talented students in a generation and hunt them down like dogs?" She smiled "Is there a third option?" Flitwick looked up and down the hallway again, then lowered his voice.

"There is, but I suggest we play along with what they want, until we know whether Snidge will need our help again" Sprout sated at him for a moment, then nodded. He smiled "Okay - lets go and face the music"

xoxox

"Professor Flitwick - I believe I owe you my thanks" Umbridge said in a penitent tone. Flitwick, stood in a line with McGonagall, Sprout and Snape, blinked in surprise.

"Professor?"

"I am afraid I allowed my temper to get the better of me when dealing with the Granger girl, and your quick action prevented me from doing something that I am sure I would now regret" Flitwick glanced at Sprout, then turned back to Umbridge and Dumbledore.

"I am glad to be of service, Madame Inquisitor" He gave a slight bow. 

"However, while I am willing to forgive your earlier transgression - because it prevented me from doing something I shouldn't have - I need to know where you stand now" She glanced at Dumbledore "I have summoned four teams of Aurors, and Albus has locked down the school so that the Granger girl and her cohorts will not be able to escape" She paused "What I want to know now is if you are going to help us find her, or do we have to confine you to your quarters until our search is complete?"

xoxox

_"We need to talk"_

Hermione stood in the centre of Slytherin's study, facing her friends. 

"Each of you has a choice to make" She said softly "You can either come with me, into the black, or you can leave" She looked at each of them in turn "I won't hold it against you if you return to the school" There was a pause, then Luna stood up.

"If we go back - if we return to Hogwarts - something bad will happen to us" She said in the same tone Hermione had used "There'll be an attack, or an accident, and we will be killed" Blaise and Harry nodded in agreement.

"So you are staying because of fear?" Hermione asked lightly. Luna smiled.

"We are staying because we refuse to let you face death alone" She replied "You have been our friend, our sister, our mother, our guide and our teacher. We won't abandon you now" 

"I won't have you die because of me" Hermione snapped. 

"We aren't doing it purely because of you" Luna's tone stayed friendly and warm "Yes, we love you. Yes, we owe you everything we have and will ever have. Yes, we would gladly lay down our very lives to give you one second longer to live....." She paused "What was my point again?"

"That you weren't doing it purely because of me" Hermione supplied, making Luna nod.

"Cho was my friend" She said softly "While some of the other girls teased me and mocked me, Cho was always there to help me - to make me feel not so alone"

"Colin was eleven years old, and had his entire life ahead of him" Sally said "And IT killed him without a second thought"

"Ron was a twat, a bastard and a tool" Ginny added "But when I was six, and I lost my teddy bear, he stayed up all night with me while I cried, and then the next day he gave up all his pocket money so Dad could get me a new one" She paused, tears in her eyes "IT used him and then destroyed him - for no other reason than IT could"

"My parents are lying in St Mungo's, alive and yet dead" Neville said firmly "IT tried to kill me, and when it failed, it snapped their minds"

"IT kills kids" Blaise said simply. Hermione looked at Harry. 

"We each have our own reasons for wanting IT dead, sister of mine" He said smiling slightly "So whether we all go together, or we each go on our own, do not doubt that we ARE going" 

"For revenge?" She asked.

"Because IT is evil" He replied "And evil must be killed" For a moment, Hermione didn't respond, then a soft smile crossed her face.

"You are the single most stubborn group I have ever met" She said, her smile widening "And I could not love you more for it" She paused "Let's begin"

xoxox

"Albus - are you going to let The Ball go ahead?" McGonagall asked as she and The Headmaster walked down the main stairs towards The Great Hall.

"Yes" He nodded "It will keep the student body happy, and will also ensure that they are all in once place while the rest of the grounds are searched" He paused "And it will also ensure that - if Miss Granger comes after anyone else, we will be there to stop her" McGonagall tilted her head in acknowledgement, then frowned.

"Have you informed Fred and George Weasley of their brother's death?" She asked "And what about his parents and young Percival?"

"Once the Aurors have completed their search, and Miss Potter-Granger and her friends are in custody, I will inform Molly and Arthur, as well as the rest of their family" He replied "Until then, I do not want to risk the news getting out prematurely and causing a problem" 

"Are you aware that the twins have a map in their possession that could be useful in locating Miss Potter-Granger?" McGonagall looked at him as they reached the ground floor.

"I have heard rumours, yes" He nodded.

"Would you like me to...."

"If you don't mind, Minerva, I would appreciate it" He paused "But do not inform them as to the reason you are asking - merely that you wish to know where Miss Potter-Granger is"

"Very well" She nodded once, then turned as the main doors to the castle opened, and twenty four figures in deep red robes walked in, followed by the stately figure of Amelia Bones.

"Madame Director" Dumbledore nodded politely "Thank you for coming" 

xoxox

"Before we start, I just want to make sure you are all happy with this spell" Sally looked around the group. They had moved in to the main Chamber, and were stood in a circle around Hermione "It will bind our minds together, hopefully making them greater than the sum of their parts" She paused "I will try to ensure that no one's privacy is unduly invaded, but I can not promise anything"

"We understand" Hermione said, and the others nodded. Sally smiled, but then turned as Ginny raised her hand.

"Nis? You don't want to do the spell?" Ginny blinked in surprise.

"What? Oh -no, that's not it" She shook her head "I mean - yes, I want to do it, but before you begin, I wanted to suggest something" She turned to Hermione "I know I was going to call on Tom, but.... well I was thinking - it might be better if I called on my brother instead"

"On Ron?" Harry looked at her in surprise "The boy who, not four hours ago, beat you up and attempted to rape you?"

"I know he isn't perfect, and that - at the end - he hated me" Ginny admitted "But then he would have seen who Pennywise really is, and my guess is - at that moment - he would have realised the depth of his folly and understood just how badly he had been manipulated"

"And if he hasn't? If he is still the same bastard he was yesterday?" Harry pushed. 

"Farm Boy - enough" Hermione said quietly. Harry looked at her, then turned back to Ginny.

"I'm just worried Nissa" He said apologetically. She smiled.

"I know - I love you too" He smiled back at her. 

"Nissa - Ginny - are you sure?" Hermione asked. Ginny stared levelly back at her.

"Yes, sister of mine, I am sure" Hermione gazed in to her eyes, then gave one single nod. 

"I'll take him" Blaise said suddenly "Tom, I mean" Hermione raised one eyebrow questioningly "Given the choice, I would say he has to be better than Two-Short" Hermione smirked.

"To say the least" She looked around "Does anyone else have any last minute changes or suggestions?"

"I suppose two weeks holiday in Disney World is out?" Luna asked, making everyone laugh "Just checking" 

"If we survive this, make it a month" Hermione grinned, then turned to Sally "Bex - we are in your hands" Sally nodded, then pulled out her wand.

"I need you all to remain silent until I am done - this is long and somewhat complex, and if there are any interruptions or mistakes, it could go badly for us all" Everyone nodded "Very well - if you are all sitting comfortably....." She took a long, slow breath, then began to chant "Tarx minu a hambra diven. Dixlix mannata varn xanta zoola....."

xoxox

McGonagall entered the Gryffindor common room, looked around, then walked over to the sofa by the fireplace.

"Mr Weasley - I was wondering if I might have a word?" Fred looked up, then smiled.

"Of course, Professor. What can I do for my Head of House today?" he asked.

"It is a somewhat delicate matter" She said quietly "Hermione Potter-Granger has gone missing, along with one or two of her friends. We believe she might be in some danger, but wherever she is, we are unable to detect her" She paused "I am given to understand that you have a method for.... locating people within the bounds of the school"

"Yes, Professor" Fred jumped to his feet "If you would like to wait here...." Before she could reply, he bolted up the stairs and out of sight. 

A few minutes later, he came running back down the stairs, ran over to where she was stood and skidded to a halt, nearly tripping in to her.

"She's not there, Professor" He said urgently "None of them are"

xoxox

".... chantho murago izilna vidi cevi mutha zog" Sally finished chanting, then lowered her wand.

"It's done" She said, panting slightly. Hermione nodded, then she drew her sword. A moment later, the others followed suit, dropping to their knees and each holding their sword in front of them.

"Strength through Unity. Unity through Faith" She said quietly, then she raised her wand and pressed it against the hilt of her sword. A moment later, the wand vanished in to the hilt.

Allowing herself a single smile, she raised her sword.

"Grant us the power to see what we believe. Grant that we might take our fears and make them our own, so that we are no longer afraid. Grant that what we hold to be true becomes so and what we believe in our hearts we will believe in our minds" She pointed her sword straight up "GRANT THAT OUR IMAGINATION WILL BECOME OUR WEAPON, AND THAT OUR WEAPON WILL BE OUR SALVATION" As she finished speaking, her wand started to glow "GRANT THIS TO US!" The sword continued to glow brighter and brighter, until the light filled the Chamber, blinding them to everything else and each other.

xoxox

"You are searching for seven students, wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of another student" Umbridge addressed the Aurors "And remember - while they might be students, they have already resisted arrest and threatened the safety of staff members and yet other students" She paused "You may use reasonable force to bring them in - I do not expect you to risk your own lives if they are put in danger" There was a murmur of surprise from the ranks of Aurors, but vanished almost as soon as it started.

"You are to quarter and search by fours to ensure your safety" She continued "They were last seen somewhere on the second floor, but according to our initial scans and investigations, they could now be anywhere" She smiled "You have all been given permission to enter the various Common Rooms and other areas that are usually restricted. However The Forbidden Forest will be off limits until the rest of the castle has been searched, due to the inherent dangers within its borders" She looked around the group, then smiled.

"You have your orders and search areas - dismissed"

xoxox

Two miles below the surface, in a cave so vast you could not see its walls or roof, IT waited. 

IT knew they were coming - oh yes. IT could feel their anger and their hatred - feel it and taste it and smell it. 

As IT morphed in to IT's normal form - IT did not dress up to receive guests in IT's own home - the anticipation within IT built, and IT's terrible jaws twisted in to the rictus of a horrible grin.

They would come. They would come, and - at last - they would die. 

xoxox

As the light of the spell faded, Hermione grasped the hilt of her sword and slowly extracted her wand. Then she looked at her friends, knelt in a circle around her.

"My wand, my heart, my love and my life for you" She whispered quietly, looking at each of them in turn. They each acknowledged her words then - as one - stood up and came to attention.

She sheathed her sword in the scabbard on her left hip, then turned towards the tunnel that would lead them to IT.

"I just want to say that I love you all, and that it has been an honour getting to know you" Before they could respond, she started walking towards the tunnel.

Without looking round she knew that they were following her. And so calmly, peacefully and with measured stride, she lead them into the black.

While outside, it began to rain.


	25. Year 5 - Into The Black (Above And Below)

_Grimmauld Place, 6:05pm_

"Emily?" Daniel stared in surprise as Hermione's Patronus flashed in to sight in front of him.

"The Reckoning has come" Emily said quietly "We are about to head into the black" She paused "Can you gather the others at Grimmauld, and let the French Connection know what is going on?" 

"Of course" Daniel nodded, getting to his feet. 

"You should be ready to leave the next time we get in touch" Emily bit her lip "If we don't get in touch in twelve hours, you need to leave anyway" 

"We can't just leave....."

"If we don't get in touch in twelve hours, we will all be dead" Emily said simply "Please - get everyone here, and be ready to leave" Before Daniel could respond, Emily vanished, leaving him staring at the space she had been.

A moment later, he took a deep breath. 

"Okay. Lets do it"

xoxox

_The Great Hall, 6:10pm_

"Sue? What's Aunty A doing here?" Susan looked down The Great Hall to where Hannah had pointed, and saw her Aunt Amelia talking to a group of Aurors.

"No idea" She shrugged "Maybe they are worried that the ball will provide a tempting target for You Know Who to attack" Hannah opened her mouth to respond, but Susan interrupted "I know, I know - he's not back and he's not real" She gestured towards where The DMLE staff were standing talking "But The Minister and Umbitch are convinced he is, and are maybe using this as an excuse to show the flag"

"Or as an excuse to bring Aurors in to the school" Hannah added "It does sound like something Umbitch would do"

"That is not a very flattering way to refer to your Defence teacher" Both girls span round at Flitwick's voice.

"Sorry sir" They said in unison, but he waved his hand dismissively. 

"I said it wasn't flattering - I didn't say it wasn't accurate" He smiled "So - you were wondering why The Director is here, along with most of her Aurors?"

"It is a little unusual" Hannah said "We thought it was a drill? Or a publicity stunt?" Flitwick smiled, but shook his head.

"Have you noticed who else isn't here, Miss Abbott?" He said quietly. Hannah and Susan both looked around, then turned back to the teacher.

"The Study Group" Susan said after a moment, and Flitwick nodded "And you know where they are?" 

"Sadly, I don't" Flitwick looked at them thoughtfully, then seemed to come to a decision "Earlier today, all seven members of The Study Group went on the run after Professor Umbridge issued arrest warrants on each of them"

"For what?" 

"The brutal and vicious murder of Ron Weasley" Flitwick sighed "Professor Umbridge tried to apprehend the members of Miss Potter-Granger's group, but they encountered a few.... problems during their attempt"

"Problems?" Susan asked curiously. Flitwick blushed.

"I am not saying anything" He smirked "And I am definitely not saying that Pomona and I stunned some of our colleagues in the back and let Hermione and her friends escape" The girls laughed.

"So what can we do?" Hannah asked after a moment "I mean - if they are in trouble, we want to help" She glanced down The Hall, then lowered her voice "So will the rest of Lucy's Army" 

"I know" Flitwick nodded, lowering his own voice "And I think that when they come back, they'll need all the help they can get" He looked around "Spread the word - amongst those you can trust - and be ready to act"

"Yes sir" They both nodded, then Susan looked over to the far side of The Hall where Fred and George were sat talking. Flitwick followed their gaze, then sighed.

"Professor Umbridge didn't think they needed to be told about their brother" He said quietly "But I suppose if we are going to help Hermione, they'll need to know" He took a deep breath, then looked at the two Hufflepuffs "If you will excuse me, ladies?"

xoxox

_The Potter-Granger House, 6:20pm_

"Another letter from Minister Scrimgeour" Sidney said with a sigh "He would like our support on The Werewolf Rights Act" Jennifer quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I am guessing that this is like the Muggle-Born Rights act he tried to get our support for last year?"

"Pretty much" Sidney skimmed through the letter "It suggests that Werewolves would be much safer if they had to register with The DMLE, if they were willing to turn themselves in for protection during the three days surrounding the full moon, and if they give power of attorney over themselves to a respected member of the community" 

"Does he have suggestions about who he considers respected members of society?" 

"Professor Umbridge is third on his list" Sidney replied.

"Sidney? Jennifer? Can I come through" Daniel's voice came from the fireplace.

"Of course" Jennifer replied, and a moment later Daniel stepped out of the flames, dusting himself off. 

"Daniel - have you received a...." Sidney started, but Daniel interrupted.

"It's started" He said simply. Jennifer and Sidney stared at him for a moment, then Jennifer slowly stood up.

"The Reckoning?" She asked quietly, and Daniel nodded.

"Hermione got in touch around fifteen minutes ago" He continued "The Reckoning has started, and they've gone down in to the tunnels - down into the black" He paused "She asked that I gather everyone at my house, and that we be prepared to leave when they next get in touch" Jennifer walked over to her husband, and gently rested her hand on his shoulder.

"We have to go to Gringotts first - Ragnok needs to know that we are leaving the country, and to ensure that the various houses and assets we have are put under Gringotts' control" Sidney said, glancing down at the letter in his hand "And we have to inform The Wizengamot Proxies we agreed on"

"Then you should go as soon as is practical" Daniel said, glancing at his watch "Everyone else is at Grimmauld Place already, and we are just waiting for the two of you"

"We'll go to Gringotts right away, then come to Grimmauld Place when we are done" Jennifer replied.

"Okay - but be careful" Daniel insisted "According to Ministry sources, Umbridge has had arrest warrants issued for all seven of our children" 

"Pardon me?" Both Jennifer and Sidney turned to face Daniel "Umbridge has done what?"

"I can explain it later, but if Umbridge is going after the children - if she has brought the full force of The Ministry down on them - then I don't think she would stop at just them" Daniel said seriously "If you could go straight to Gringotts, and come straight to Grimmauld Place afterwards, it would be better"

"I'll see what we can do" Sidney grinned. 

"Okay" Daniel nodded, then took a deep breath "Hermione also gave me one more message"

"Oh yes?"

"She said that we should be prepared to leave in twelve hours, whether we hear from them or not"

xoxox

_The Entrance Hall, 6:30pm_

"Any progress, Headmaster?" Dumbledore didn't look round as Umbridge walked up behind him. 

"Should I not be asking you that, Madame High Inquisitor?" He asked in a polite tone "I was under the impression that Director Bones and her Aurors were reporting directly to you"

"They are, and so far they haven't found any sign of them" She paused "However, as Headmaster, you have a connection to the school and the students I am not able to access" She smiled "But I am forced to wonder if you want to find them, or just let them go free" Dumbledore slowly turned to face her.

"I want to find them, Professor Umbridge, as much as you do" He said seriously "However I - unlike you - haven't already decided they are guilty"

"I am going to ensure they get a fair trial, Headmaster - after all - if everyone is to see them for what they really are, justice has to be served in public" 

"Justice?" Dumbledore raised one eyebrow curiously.

"Yes, Headmaster - justice" Umbridge smiled sweetly "Now - if you have no information for me, I will return to co-ordinating the search without your assistance" She paused, then her smile faded "A fact that will be reported to The Minister" She turned and stalked away. Dumbledore turned back to stare in to the pouring rain. 

"You decided not to tell her, Albus?" McGonagall asked from behind him. 

"I did not think it was something she needed to know" Dumbledore replied calmly, not turning round.

"You didn't think that the wards can't locate the children was something The High Inquisitor should know?" She asked with a slight smile. Dumbledore turned to face her.

"If I knew exactly where they were, I would, of course, be obligated to inform Dolores, as well as Director Bones, of that fact" He smiled "But since I do not know any more about their whereabouts than either Dolores or Amelia, then I feel no such compulsion" McGonagall looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Do you really think they killed Ron Weasley?" She asked.

"I must admit, I am not sure about anything any more" Dumbledore replied "Before Dolores came to Hogwarts, I would not have thought it possible" 

"And now?"

"Given the trials that Miss Granger has been through, and the fact that The SLP and Professor Umbridge has specifically targeted her and her friends....." He trailed off, then shrugged "I would like to think they are incapable of such a thing, but from what I have seen...." He paused "I just don't know"

xoxox

_Gringotts Bank, 6:30pm_

"We can transfer the accounts now, Jennifer, and we can also inform the proxy holders" Ragnok said, looking at the list in front of him "The change of ownership on the buildings won't take affect until first thing tomorrow but - the moment that they do, The Ministry will be notified" He looked at them thoughtfully "Once you set this in motion, everyone will know you are leaving"

"When is first thing tomorrow?" Sidney asked "Because by this time tomorrow morning, we will be in France and we won't be coming back" 

"And your children?" Ragnok looked at them worriedly. 

"They will be coming with us" Jennifer said calmly "Once they are finished at Hogwarts, they will be joining us in our departure" 

"Very well" Ragnok nodded "Everything you asked for will be completed within thirty minutes, except - as I said - for the ownership on the properties" He paused "With your permission, I will also get in touch with Percy Weasley and Healer McGarry and ensure that The Longbottoms will be transferred safely to The Marseilles Academy before you leave tomorrow"

"Won't that alert....." Sidney started, but Ragnok shook his head.

"Healer McGarry has assured me that it will all be confidential, and that no one will know they are missing until we want them to know" He smiled "Frank and Alice Longbottom will be perfectly safe, and no one will know you have gone until we - until you wish them to know" Jennifer and Sidney smiled.

"Thank you Ragnok" They both stood "By nine o'clock tomorrow morning, we will be gone and the need for secrecy will be gone with us" Jennifer smiled "Hopefully we will see you again, but if we don't - if we can't come back to Britain - I just wanted to say thank you. Without you - without your help, and the help of The Goblin Nation - we would be lost" Ragnok smiled.

"I believe that our association has been to our mutual benefit, but thank you" He stood up as well "And you should remember that while we are located in Britain, the bank itself is considered to be the sovereign territory of The Goblin Nation - inviolable by The Ministry, The DMLE or anyone else" 

"Would that apply to any houses that are put in your possession?" Jennifer asked, starting to smile.

"As a matter of fact, it would" Ragnok nodded.

"So if we leave, we don't have to take everything with us?" She asked, and Ragnok nodded again "Once more, we are in your debt" 

xoxox

_Slytherin Common Room, 6:40pm_

Draco paced back and forth in front of the long window, occasionally glancing at The Black Lake beyond it. 

"Dray, honey, are you going to do that all night?" Pansy asked "I thought we could go and dance at The Ball" Draco glanced at her, then continued pacing. She stared at him a moment longer, then threw her hands up in the air.

"Fine - if you aren't going to come to the dance, would you like to....." She glanced over to the stairs to the boys' dorms. Draco followed her gaze, then shook his head.

"I have something important to do" He said quietly, then turned back to stare out in to the lake. 

"Something important?" She asked snappishly "Am I not important?" For a few moments, Draco ignored her, then - just as she was about to speak again - he turned round to face her.

"Pansy - I love you, but if you don't shut up, I am going to slap you" He said quietly "There are things going on - things you don't know about"

"So tell me" She said, sitting down. Draco stared at her for a moment longer, then smiled.

"Very well" He walked over and sat down beside her "It all started back in the first year...."

xoxox

_St Mungos Hospital, 6:45pm_

"Mr Weasley" Thomas McGarry nodded as Percy walked in to the secure ward "You have the transfer orders?"

"I do" Percy smiled, holding up a file "You understand what we are doing here?" 

"Yes" McGarry nodded "The Longbottoms are being transferred to The Marseilles Academy, but the transfer orders won't be filed until noon tomorrow" He glanced at the two patients in the ward "Will they be safe?"

"Minister Fudge and Mister Delacour have assured us of their safety" Percy said seriously "And Mr and Mrs Potter-Granger, along with Augusta Longbottom, will be arriving there within the next twelve hours"

"Okay" McGarry nodded again, then pulled out his wand and tapped the chart on the end of Alice's bed, then took it and put it down on Frank's chest. 

"You will need to be holding both of their hands, and the activation word is Freedom" He looked at Percy "The portkey will work both ways, and bring you back when you are finished"

"Will The Ministry...."

"Medical portkeys are classified - doctor patient confidentiality" McGarry smiled "I just have one thing to ask"

"Anything" Percy walked between the two beds, taking Alice and Frank's hands as he did.

"Can you let me know how it goes, and if they recover?" 

"Of course" Percy nodded "Is there anything else I need to know about their treatment"? 

"Not that I can think of" McGarry shook his head "And, if I am completely honest, I don't think that The Academy will be able to do anything either" He looked at the two Longbottoms sadly "They've been like that for fifteen years, and I don't see it changing any time soon"

"I don't know of The Academy will help them, but if they stay here, they will be at risk from The Ministry" Percy replied "Thank you for all your help, Healer McGarry" 

"You are welcome, Mr Weasley" Percy nodded.

"Freedom"

xoxox

_The Great Hall, 6:50pm_

"Fred, George" Susan and Hannah sat down next to The Weasley Twins "We heard about...." Susan trailed off "We just wanted to give you our condolences" Fred smiled softly.

"Thank you" He sighed "I know he was a..... pain in the last few years, but before he came here - before he turned in to the person he was - he was the best brother you could imagine" He paused "I think we'll remember him like that"

"Probably a good idea" Hannah nodded sympathetically, then - glancing at Susan - she continued "Did Professor Flitwick tell you...."

"That Hermione and her friends are on the run, wanted for killing him?" George smiled "He did mention something about that" 

"We're getting Lucy's Army together" Susan said quietly "To help them if they need it" She paused "But we'll understand if you don't want to be a part of it"

"We want to help" Fred replied "We want to know the truth"

xoxox

_Grimmauld Place, 6:55pm_

Sidney and Jennifer stepped out of the flames to find the rest of the adults waiting for them. They looked over to where Augusta was sat.

"Frank and Alice have arrived at The Academy" Jennifer said quickly "Percy said the doctors have made them comfortable, and that no one knows they have left St Mungos yet" Augusta smiled.

"Thank you" She said quietly "I know they might not get well there, but at least they'll be safe from Scrimgeour"

"Percy is going back to The Ministry, and well let us know how things are going" Sidney and Jennifer walked over to the sofa and sat down, side by side.

"Gringotts said everything will be done by tomorrow morning - and we'll be long gone before The Ministry, Hogwarts or The Wizengamot know we've gone" Jennifer explained, taking her husband's hand. 

"What about the murder charges?" Angelo asked.

"Obviously it would be better if we can disprove it, but honestly? Once we arrive in France, we'll be protected against anything The Ministry can do" Sidney said with a shrug.

"So now what?" Eric asked. Jennifer and Sidney exchanged glances. 

"So now we wait" Jennifer said quietly.

xoxox

_The Tunnels, 6:10pm_

Hermione slowed to a halt, then looked round. 

"Xyon? Which one?" She asked. Neville looked past her to where the tunnel branched off in to three new tunnels.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, looking back at her.

"Wherever IT is" 

"Under the Forbidden Forest" Luna said at once, and Harry and Blaise nodded.

"Then you want the middle tunnel" Neville said softly "It will take us under the grounds, and out to the forest" Hermione smiled.

"Thank you" She turned back, took two steps forward then stopped again, staring worriedly at the tunnel.

"Snidge?" Ginny walked up next to her.

"There's something wrong....." Hermione said quietly "There's something wrong with the tunnel" She paused "I feel.... I don't know" She looked around "If we go down there, something bad will happen" 

"It's IT" Luna said quietly, walking up to Hermione's other side "IT knows we are coming, Snidge, and knows why we are coming" 

"IT's scaring me?" Hermione looked over at Luna worriedly. 

"Fear is the mind killer" Luna replied with a slight smile, then she laughed as Hermione's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You know The Litany of Fear?" She asked. Luna glanced at Harry. 

"After I finished _Rilla_ for the fourth time, Jamie thought I might enjoy a different type of story" She smiled.

"One where a group of people with mystical powers triumphs over an evil that has existed since before the dawn of time" Harry supplied, making Hermione laugh. 

"I can see the attraction of that idea" She smiled, then looked back at the tunnel "I will not fear" She threw her head back, and began to walk forward - hesitantly at first, then with more purpose. The others followed her, with Luna and Harry at the back.

"Where the fear has gone there will be nothing" Luna said firmly "Only we will remain"

xoxox

A few minutes later, as the tunnel started to narrow, Hermione raised her hand.

"Do you hear something?" She asked quietly. The others looked around, then turned back to her. 

"Anything in particular, Snidge?" Blaise asked. 

"I thought I heard a....." She stared down the tunnel, then pulled out her wand "Lumous projectalia" A ball of light flew down the tunnel, and a few moments later Sally let out a scream of terror. 

"Mr Finch - with Bex. Nis, GW - left. Xy, FB - right" She said in an instant, then drew her sword. 

"No - wait" Sally said, voice wavering slightly. She drew her own sword, then took a step forward, coming to stand next to Hermione.

"I'm not afraid of you" She said quietly as the alien skittered along the tunnel towards them "You are just something I saw in a movie, when I was a child and didn't know any better" She felt Blaise walk up to stand behind her, but didn't look round "You have no power over me any more - you can't scare me" The alien came to a halt, then looked at her. 

"Run back to your master" Sally said firmly "Run back to your master and tell him he can't scare me any more" The alien stared at her for a moment long, then suddenly leaped forward, inner teeth shooting outwards. Sally flinched back, but, before anyone else could react, she stepped sideways and whipped her sword up. 

A gout of blood spattered on the roof of the tunnel as the head bounced across the floor.

"Get back everyone" Hermione shouted, jumping to one side. The others all recoiled as the blood from the roof started to drip down on to the floor, sizzling as hit the stone.

"Molecular acid for blood" Sally said, voice wavering again "Is that from my mind or from IT's?" She looked over at Hermione "Can it read us that well? That intimately?" Hermione shrugged.

"Maybe it can" She said calmly "Or maybe we are only seeing the blood melt through the tunnel floor because that's what we expect to see - or because what you expect to see" She paused "I guess one way to find out is to stick your finger in to the pool of acid" The other six all looked down at where the blood from the alien's neck was now eating through the floor as well, then looked back up at Hermione.

"You know what?" Sally said with a slight smile "I can live without knowing" 

xoxox

As they turned in to another tunnel, Luna walked up beside Hermione, glancing around. 

"Snidge?" She said softly "What's going to happen next?" Hermione looked at her curiously, then went back to watching where they were going.

"We fight Pennywise. Hopefully we live long enough to kill it" Hermione replied simply.

"And after?" Hermione glanced at her again, then smiled.

"This thing - this creature has existed since before the dawn of time" She said quietly "The castle was built over it, and the foundations of our society were built on it" She paused, then laughed softly "If we are at hand when IT dies, do you really think we'll be able to get out alive?" 

xoxox

"What are you doing down here?" Molly Weasley's voice echoed loudly through the tunnel, bringing Ginny to a sudden halt.

"Mum?" She exclaimed in surprised, then glanced at Hermione "Sorry - force of habit" Hermione shook her head.

"It's not her, Nissa" She said softly.

"Ginevra - what are you doing down here with these boys?" Molly asked again "How am I going to marry you off to a wealthy pureblood if you've been sullying yourself with these.... these boys!" Molly stalked forward and reached out towards Ginny with both hands "I'm taking you home....." Before she could get any further, Ginny whipped her sword round and decapitated her. As the body fell to the ground, Ginny looked back at Hermione.

"You have no idea how good that felt" She said with a grin. 

"And people call me evil" A soft, silky voice came from the tunnel Molly had emerged from "I tried to defend the rights of all living creatures, and expose what a hypocrite the wizard was, and I get labelled one of the most evil witches of all time" The green figure of Elphaba emerged from the darkness "But you? You kill your own mother after breaking her heart and....."

"Aguamenti" A blast of water shot from Ginny's wand, splashing on the ground next to The Wicked Witch. 

"Hey - were you born in a barn?!" The Witch exclaimed, taking a few steps to the side "I was monologuing here!"

"You think I care?" Ginny sent another blast of water to the right of The Witch. 

"Stop it" Elphaba snapped, taking a step back. Ginny looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled.

"No" She said with a grin "Aguamenti!" A massive torrent of water shot from her wand, soon joined by the other six students, forcing The Witch back in to a corner.

"I'm not afraid of you any more" Ginny said quietly, without cancelling the spell "Of you, or your thrice-damned master" 

"You will be" Elphaba said with a wicked grin, then she suddenly jumped forward in to the oncoming water. There was a brief bout of steam, then she vanished, leaving only her clothes in a pile. 

Harry stared at the pile of clothes, then looked over at his sister.

"Nissa? You okay?" She nodded, then Harry look at Hermione.

"Snidge - does all this seem...." He paused, biting his lip.

"Seem what?"

"Seem too easy?" He continued, slightly less confidently than before "He's sending our greatest fears against us, but so far we aren't getting all that scared"

"We aren't?" Sally asked, and Harry turned to look at her.

"You hacked off its head without batting an eyelid" He said "Think back to when you first saw it - Christmas of our first year?" Sally's eyes went blank for a moment, then she nodded in understanding.

"I am not suggesting we do something so rash as to become confident we can actually hurt it, let alone kill it" He continued "But why is it doing this?" 

xoxox

"..... despair and die!" Blaise slashed his sword downwards, impaling the Gollum creature in front of him. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Writing a cross-over, Mr Finch?" She asked in amusement. Blaise frowned at her in confusion.

"Huh?" Hermione rolled her eyes. 

"Lord of The Rings and The Narnia Chronicles" She smiled "You are quoting one while destroying something from another"

"I am?" Hermione threw up her hands with a sigh.

"Never mind" She shook her head, then tilted her head to one side "You weren't afraid?" Blaise stared at her, then smiled.

"Not so much, no" He shook his head "Do you think.... do you think it could be the spell?" He looked at the others "None of you are afraid of this.... this thing?" He jabbed at the body with his sword.

"Not really, no" Luna admitted, and the others shook their heads "I always thought he was a bit pathetic, and pitiful" 

"And the alien?" He asked, looking at his girlfriend. 

"It's fictional creature" Harry said "Like The Wicked Witch of The West" Ginny smiled weakly. 

"So unless it's something we're all afraid of...." Hermione said thoughtfully, then shook her head "It's a good idea, but - as Mr Finch said - lets not get confident that we'll actually be able to win the day" She raised her sword "Keep your eyes peeled - the next big bad could be on the move right now" 

xoxox

"You can't win, you know" Harry took two quick steps forward, putting himself between Hermione and the figure that emerged from the darkness and shadows "Oh Farm Boy - do you trust me so little? Do you think so little of me that you think I would hurt my best friend?"

"You're not her friend" Harry retorted as Emily Brown, a ghostly limb where her left leg should be, her right arm missing from the elbow down, ambled in to view.

"Not her friend?" Emily looked at him thoughtfully, then she turned to Hermione "No, I don't suppose I am" She stared intently at Hermione "If I were her friend, she wouldn't have let me die" Emily took a step forward "Wouldn't have let me be tortured to death by a monster" Hermione stared back at her, then shook her head.

"But then again - why would she need me as a friend when she has the six of you?" Emily looked at each of the others in turn "What more could a mudblood do to ensure her success in a world that considers her inferior?" She shook her head "Friends with the heirs to four major houses - making them bow to her as their leader" 

"We don't...."

"And who knows?" Emily continued without letting Blaise finish "If she gets all six of you killed down here, then I have no doubt that your parents would be happy to name her as your successors" She turned to stare at Hermione "Or had that thought not occurred to you, my most beloved Mindy?" Hermione raised one eyebrow in amusement, but stayed silent.

"Nothing to say, Mindy-my-Mindy?" Emily took a few steps forward, but stopped when both Harry and Ginny got between her and Hermione "You've got them well trained, Mindy - just like cute little puppy dogs"

"Arf, arf" Ginny said with a smile, making Emily frown.

"She's just going to get you all killed, you know" She snapped. 

"We know" Harry and Ginny said in unison, then Harry continued "But if we can keep her alive long enough to kill you, then we'd consider our deaths a price worth paying" Emily stared at them, then looked at each of the others and saw the same expression on their faces as well.

"You are willing to die for her" Emily nodded slowly "I can see that now" She paused "But - then again - dying for someone is easy" She turned back to stare at Harry and Ginny, then - in the blink of an eye - morphed in to a giant werewolf "But are you willing to kill for her?" It snarled. Harry and Ginny exchanged quick glances, then they both raised their swords. Harry swept The Master Sword low, while Ginny swung Nelkala upwards. 

The werewolf screamed as Harry's sword cut through its knees, then stopped screaming when Ginny severed its vocal chords by separating its head from its neck. 

As they both finished their swings, the body collapsed on the ground, dead. They both sheathed their swords again, then looked back at their sister.

"So - that would be a yes then?" She said with a slight smile. Turning to Neville, she looked at him questioningly "How far away are we?"

"I don't know exactly where IT is, but I think about a hundred yards down the tunnel, then off to the right" Neville replied "That will put us under The Forest" 

"Good" Hermione rested her hand on the hilt of her sword "Because I am ready to get this done" 

xoxox

IT stared intently at the door to IT's lair, knowing they would be coming through it soon.

The illusions - the monsters IT had sent against them - had proved surprisingly ineffective. IT knew their fears - knew what to use against them - and yet they were not as scared as they should be. 

Once again, the stirrings of unease entered IT's mind. Could they have found a way to defeat IT? Could they be a danger to him? 

IT shook IT's head dismissively. 

"They might have beaten their fears" IT thought "But they won't beat me"

xoxox

"Is that....." Luna started, attracting the attention of the others "Is that a door?" Hermione turned, then blinked in surprise.

"Why is there a door in the middle of a wall?" She asked, looking up and down the tunnel "And why is it made of wood?" She paused "And why does it have Emily's face on it?"

"You see Emily?" Harry asked, not taking his eyes off the image of Vernon Dursley that was burned in to the centre of the door.

"Yes" Hermione looked across at her "Who do you see?"

"Molly" Ginny said quietly.

"Vernon" Harry whispered.

"Draco" Neville admitted.

"Umbridge" Sally added.

"Dumbledore" Blaise replied, walking up beside Sally and slipping his hand in to hers. Hermione smiled, then turned and looked at Luna.

"GW?" She asked, but Luna - staring at the image on the door - didn't turn round. Harry walked over to her, and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

"Lin? What do you see?" He asked quietly. Luna stared at the door a moment longer, then turned to look at Hermione.

"I see you" She said quietly, then dropped her eyes to the floor "I see you looking at me disappointedly" Hermione looked at her sympathetically for a moment, then bounded over and pulled the young Ravenclaw in to a hug. 

"You could never disappoint me" She whispered quietly in to Luna's ear.

"Even if I turn and run? Even if I get so scared that I wet myself and faint?" Luna whispered back. Hermione gave a soft laugh.

"If you faint, we'll use you as a barricade" She said, making Luna snort in amusement "And if you turn and run, then - when we are done killing this monster - I will come and find you, and tell you all about it" 

"And you wouldn't hate me?" Luna asked in a very small voice.

"I love you, my girl" Hermione replied "Always, and forever" She leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips "You won't ever disappoint me, no matter what you do" Luna looked up at her, then a confident look stole over her face. She glanced back at the door.

"It's blank" She said quietly, then she drew her sword "I'm ready" Hermione smiled, then drew her own sword - a movement repeated by the other five.

"Then lets do it" She turned and walked over to the door. With one final glance behind her, she looked back, slowly pushed it open and walked through, followed by her friends.


	26. Year 5 - Into The Black (The Chase)

_Hogsmeade, 7pm_

By seven o'clock that evening, the residents of Hogsmeade had started to realise that the storm raging outside was not your average, every day storm.

The rain that had started an hour before was still falling, and was starting to form deep, deep puddles in the streets. 

The first floor of the Shrieking Shack was underwater, and it looked like the second floor was heading that way too. 

And all through the village, shop-owners and residents were using spells, enchantments and magically created sandbags to prevent the water from flooding their establishments and homes. 

Then, as it turned seven o'clock, a number of the residents paused and turned to stare towards the school. 

"Hogwarts' clock didn't strike" Aberforth Dumbledore thought "Dark things are coming, mark my words"

xoxox

_The Great Hall, 7pm_

As the music pounded through The Great Hall, Flitwick turned to stare at the main doors in surprise. 

"Something's wrong" He thought, furrowing his brow "Something....." He looked down the length of The Hall to find Sprout staring back at him with a similar expression. 

xoxox

_The Entrance Hall, 7pm_

"All the Aurors have returned, Headmaster" Umbridge and Amelia stood in front of Dumbledore "They've found no trace of the Granger girl or any of her friends" 

"That is disappointing" Dumbledore acknowledged "I was hoping you would return them so we can get this misunderstanding sorted out" He looked at Amelia "Director - what do you think we should do next?" 

"I would like to leave some Aurors stationed here, in case they return" Amelia said quickly "But I've also been in touch with The Ministry, and they want me to send a detachment of my people to Hogsmeade as well. It seems that this storm is causing a lot of flooding, and the residents need help in dealing with it"

"They can't deal with a little bit of rain?" Umbridge snorted derisively "Is this another example of your teaching, Dumbledore?" 

"Professor Umbridge - that sort of attitude isn't going to help anyone" Amelia said snappishly, then looked back at Dumbledore "If the wards alert you to their return, get in touch with my deputy and we'll return to arrest them" She paused "Say you understand, Headmaster"

"I understand, Amelia" He nodded.

"And that you will ensure they are turned over to me when they return"

"I promise I will return them over to the proper authorities" Dumbledore nodded.

"To me, Albus" Amelia insisted "You will contact The DMLE and turn the seven students over to my custody" She paused "I hope I do not have to explain what will happen if you fail to do this?"

"No, Director, I get the message" He said reluctantly "The seven fugitive students will be handed over to your custody when they are located" He looked out in to the rain again "You have my word"

xoxox

_IT's Lair, 7pm_

Hermione pushed open the door and walked inside, followed by her friends.

"So this is where Pennywise makes his home?" Blaise asked, looking around "I can see that" He glanced at Sally, who was staring upwards "Teeny?" 

"Where's the ceiling?" She asked. Blaise looked up as well, then shrugged. 

"It's an illusion" Hermione said "It has to be - I know we came down a long way, but we couldn't have come this far" She glanced across at Neville, who nodded in agreement.

"You know what's worrying me?" Ginny said, staring around "Why is their so many webs?" She waved at the various cobwebs adorning the walls and the "I mean - I know IT is an alien space monster that eats children, but IT can't tidy up after itself?" 

"Maybe IT's been busy - what with the framing us for murder and the killing and the baby eating" Harry suggested.

"Or maybe IT's natural form is a giant spider that could kill us all with a single swipe of IT's leg" Luna replied, and Hermione turned to stare at her. 

"What makes you say that, GW?" She asked.

"Because of that" Luna replied pointing her sword over to the other side of the cavern. Hermione followed her gaze, then bit back a scream.

"Everyone - line up" She called out "As we practiced" A second later, she was stood in the centre of the line, with Harry, Ginny and Sally lined up on her left, Blaise, Luna and Neville on her right "No one attack until I give the word" They all gave a brief nod, but didn't take their eyes off the creature emerging from the shadows. 

xoxox

_"Everyone - line up as we practiced"_

IT started walking forward, moving out of the shadows. 

_"No one attack until I give the word"_

As IT walked out in to the light, IT let a small smile cross IT's face.

"They still think they can win - they still think they can beat me" IT thought, then IT slowly walked over to stand in front of their line. 

xoxox

Hermione could feel the fear emanating from her friends, and she was pretty sure one or two of them were about to bolt.

"Not that I blame them" She thought, as the spider - a scaly, hairy creature the size of a house with legs as thick as tree trunks - came to a halt in front of them "But if they go....." She clamped down hard on the rest of that thought, then sent a mental burst to the others to calm them down. 

"You think that will work, my girl?" A deep voice echoed in her head "You think you can hold them here by the strength of your will?" There was a laugh "You have got them this far, child, but now - now they, and you, are on your own" 

"She is not on her own" She blinked in surprise as Luna's voice echoed in her head as well "She has us - she has her friends"

"Does she?" IT's voice had a hint of amusement in it. 

"Yes, I do" Hermione let her own voice bellow, and she felt a measure of satisfaction as the spider appeared to wince "I gave them every chance, ever opportunity to leave - to go and live their lives" She paused, then pride filled her voice "They are here because they want to be, not because I am making them" She stared defiantly at the spider as it towered over them. IT stared back down at her, then a wicked laugh ran through all their heads.

"Then, my young friend, they will die here with you" IT took a step forward, then stopped as all seven kids raised their swords "You think they can stop me?" IT stared down at Hermione "You can not hurt me, little one. I am more powerful than you can possibly imagine, and you think you can stop me?" 

"I don't think" Hermione's voice was surprisingly calm and confident "I know" The spider made a facial expression that was - Hermione assumed - the equivalent of raising IT's eyebrows. 

"You want to fight me?" IT asked "Then lets fight" Hermione readied a response, but before she could think it, she felt a yanking sensation in her brain. 

There was a flash of light, and a second later she found herself..... somewhere else.

xoxoxo

_IT's Lair, 7:15pm_

"Snidge!" Luna exclaimed, and everyone turned to stare at Hermione as Luna bounded over to her. 

"She's not there" Luna continued, staring in to Hermione's eyes "She's..... she's gone" Sally walked up beside her, and put her hand to Hermione's throat.

"She isn't dead" She said after a moment, then lowered her hand to Hermione's chest "Her heart is still beating, and she's still breathing" She looked over her shoulder to where the giant spider was stood, perfectly stationary, staring down at them. 

"Why isn't IT attacking?" She asked, looking back at the group "If Snidge is down, why isn't IT trying to kill us?" 

"Maybe they're fighting?" Blaise suggested "I mean - if IT fights us in our minds, maybe that's the only place we can fight IT?" 

"So she's..... in IT's mind?" Ginny asked quietly "All alone?" 

xoxox

_Elsewhere_

"You brought me here to fight?" Hermione looked around the deserted wasteland she found her self in "Then come out and show yourself" She reached down to draw her sword, only to find it wasn't in it's scabbard any more.

"Foolish child!" IT's voice filled her head as the spider came over a distant ridge "Do you really think that sword would harm me? Do you really think any weapon forged by man cam harm me?" The spider crept up to her and came to a halt "Have you learned nothing in these last five years, you stupid bitch?" Before she could respond, pain filled her head, forcing her to cry out in pain and drop to her knees.

"Do you know where you are, my child?" IT asked as she writhed on the ground in front of IT "Haven't you worked it out, you stupid girl?" She heard a gleeful laugh in her head "The know-it-all doesn't know - oh this is priceless!" Hermione continued to roll around in pain, screaming as she did.

xoxox

_IT's Lair, 7:25pm_

"Snidge!" Harry cried out at Hermione's body started to shake. 

"What's wrong with her?" Ginny asked, staring at her sister.

"I think....." Neville started, then bit his lip "I think IT's torturing her" 

"We have to help her" Sally looked over at Harry "We have to help her fight" 

"I know" He nodded, then took a deep breath "Everyone close your eyes and think about her" He paused "Think about helping her, supporting her" He watched as they all shut their eyes "Think about all the times she has stood up for us and helped us" With a final glance, he closed his eyes as well, picturing Hermione on the day that her parents had adopted him. 

xoxox

_Elsewhere_

"You know - after all your boasting and swagger, I really thought you would be more of a challenge than this, little girl" IT stared down at the girl in front of her "But you're just like all the rest, aren't you?" 

xoxox

_IT's Lair, 7:35pm_

"It's not working" Neville said, opening his eyes to stare at Hermione "She's still in pain" The others all opened their eyes as well, then Ginny took a deep breath.

"We need to build a wall" She said "Get around her - stop it from getting to her" Before she finished speaking, she walked over to stand directly between Hermione and the house-sized spider. A second later, the others followed her lead until they surrounded her on all sides. 

"Now lets show that thing what we can do" 

xoxox

_Elsewhere_

"This really is too easy" IT sneered "Maybe, after I am done with you, I can go after one of your friends" 

"No" If IT had had eyelids, IT would have blinked in surprise. As it was, IT took a step back as Hermione slowly got to her feet.

"How....." IT asked, surprise tingeing IT's voice. Hermione straightened up, then stared up at IT with defiance.

"My friends" She said with a smile "The ones you think would abandon me - the ones you think are worthless" She paused "And now - now that I've worked out where we are, I think I know just how to defeat you" 

xoxox

_IT's Lair, 7:45pm_

Ginny stared at her sister, then grinned as a smile crossed Hermione's face.

xoxox

_Elsewhere_

"So you've worked it out?" IT said with a sneer.

"Yeah, I think I've worked it out" Hermione grinned "You brought me in to your mind, so you could force me into The Ritual of Chud" 

"I'm impressed" IT took a step forward "You know about The Ritual?"

"My little sister is smarter than the average bear" Hermione looked up at IT proudly "Not that it matters, of course, because I have a much better idea" She raised her hand and - a moment later - her sword appeared in her hand.

"How...." IT asked, genuine surprise in IT's voice.

"Power of the mind, Mr Gray" She took a step forward, forcing it to retreat again "You want to fight me in the mental realm? Then bring it on, you son of a bitch - I will bury you" She pointed the sword at the ground beneath IT's feet "Or, rather, drown you" With a flick of the sword, she turned the ground beneath IT into lava, then grinned from ear to ear as she heard IT scream in agony. 

_IT's Lair, 7:55pm_

All six students winced as the creature's scream ripped through their minds. 

"What was that?" Luna yelled in surprise.

"I think she....." Blaise started, but then Hermione suddenly flew into him, sending them both crashing to the floor. Blaise bit back a scream as he rolled out from under her, then gingerly got to his feet, wincing as his wrist started to ache. 

"Snidge?" Luna called out as she went to kneel down by Hermione. Sally and walked over to Blaise, while Harry, Ginny and Neville all turned to face the spider, swords drawn.

"I'm awake" She said, blinking a few times "Mr Finch?"

"I think...." Sally glanced at her boyfriend, then looked back up "I think his wrist is broken" 

"Sorry" Hermione pushed herself up, wincing slightly "My bad"

"Don't worry about it" Blaise shook his head "It's not my right hand, so I'll live" He glanced up at the spider, which was starting to slowly walk forward towards them "Head's up" They all span to stare at the on coming monster.

"Defence Pattern Delta" Hermione called out, then took a step back as Harry and Ginny crossed in front of her, and the other four came up by her side. When they were in line, they all drew their swords again.

"So you learned how to hurt me in my mind, bitch" The spider's voice came in to their heads again "But do you still believe you can do it in this realm?" 

"I don't know" Hermione said with a shrug "But I'd really like to find out NOW!" As she finished, the seven friends charged forwards, swords waving. The spider stared at them for a moment, then turned and scuttled off in to the darkness. Hermione skidded to a halt, staring in disbelief as the spider ran away.

A moment later, it morphed in to the form of The Clown, and vanished in to a tunnel at the back of the cave.

"Xy - where does that...." Hermione started, but before she could finish, there was a loud rumbling, and the mouth of the tunnel collapsed, covering the hole with a huge pile of rocks ".... tunnel lead?" 

"If it runs more or less upward, it should reach the surface at the edge of the forest" Neville replied promptly.

"Okay - then that's where we need to go" Hermione started walking again, then stopped and turned "Mr Finch - I forgot, sorry" 

"No worries - like I said...." Before he could continue, she pulled out her wand. 

"Feruma Luxan!" She said, pointing it at his wrist. A glow of warm orange surrounded it, then faded. 

"....it doesn't hurt" He finished, then he waved his arm around a little "It really doesn't hurt"

"Thought some battlefield healing spells might come in handy" She smiled, then turned round to face the far end of the cave again "Okay - lets go"

xoxox

_Hogsmeade, 7:40pm_

"Have you ever seen it like this?" Tonks asked Kinsgley as they sloshed through the main street of Hogsmeade, heading towards The Three Broomsticks.

"I don't think anyone has ever seen it like this, Nim" He replied, looking around at the water that was now lapping over the top of his boots "Why hasn't The Ministry ordered an evacuation yet?" 

"They think they'd look weak" Tonks snorted in derision "After all....." She adjusted her voice until it sounded like Rufus Scrimgeour "It is just a little water, Auror Shacklebolt - nothing that our brave men and women in red can not handle" She shook her head "He's worried about suggesting we can't do our jobs, or that this is something he can't handle" 

"Do you think he's wrong?" They came to a halt in front of The Three Broomsticks to find a heap of magical sandbags piled up against the entrance, and the clear signs of water wards surrounding the building "Everyone seems to have enough protection for the moment" He paused, then looked at her thoughtfully "And the rain will have to ease off eventually...." He realised she wasn't paying any attention to him "What are you staring at?"

"That!" He span round, and his mouth fell open in surprise at the sight of a ten foot tall wall of water that was sweeping towards them.

xoxox

_Hogwarts, 7:45pm_

"Director" An Auror bolted up The Great Hall and skidded to a halt in front of Amelia, Dumbledore and Umbridge "Director - The Minister is recalling all staff"

"Why?" Umbridge said "We haven't caught the criminals yet, and....."

"A tidal wave has just ripped through Hogsmeade, destroying a fair number of the buildings" The Auror said quickly "The majority of the residents managed to evacuate, but I'm afraid most of the Aurors were killed when the wave hit the main road" He paused "The Ministry has ordered the recall so we can all go look for survivors"

"But I need them here....." Umbridge started, then trailed off as both Dumbledore and Amelia turned to glare at her.

"A number of my Aurors are dead, Dolores" Amelia said quietly "And from all reports, Hogsmeade has just been severely damaged, so you'll forgive me if capturing seven fifteen year olds doesn't seem all that urgent any more" She turned and stalked down The Hall, the Auror trailing behind her. 

But before she could reach the door, there were four loud bangs from her left, and she turned to the jewels from the four House Point Counters cascading down from the now ruined glass tubes that had held them moments before.

"What the hell is going on?" She yelled, turning back to help the students being buried in the onslaught of precious stones.

xoxox

_The Tunnels, 8pm_

"REDUCTO!" Seven voices shouted in unison, and a moment later, the boulders blocking the tunnel that IT had fled through exploded in to dust. 

"Nissa, Bex - take point and be careful" Hermione said at once "Finch, Farm Boy - you've got the tail" All four nodded "GW, Xyon, flanks"

xoxox

_The Tunnels, 8pm_

The Clown heard the explosion echo up the tunnel, then picked up IT's pace as IT ran upwards.

For reasons IT didn't clearly understand, IT felt a level of fear IT had never felt before - not when IT's planet had exploded, not when IT had floated in the cold vacuum of space for countless eons, not when IT had crashed in to this new planet at twice the speed of sound.

Somehow the children - these insignificant little brats - had learned not only to face their fears and apparently conquer them, but had also learned how to turn IT's weapons against IT. How else, IT thought, could the seven swords they had brandished have instilled such a level of fear in IT that IT had turned and fled on instinct. 

No weapon forged by man - there had been others in the past who had tried to hurt IT, but their weapons had proved useless - an annoyance at worst, an amusement at best.

But these swords - they rang with a magic IT didn't know, and hummed with a power that IT could not help but fear.

"Then lets do it!" The know-it-all bitch yelled, and IT could hear them following IT up the tunnel. A long way back, to be sure, but still - they were coming and would eventually catch up to IT.

But now - as it neared the surface - IT let itself smile a small smile. They would catch up - oh yes - and then they would see just what it was they were dealing with.

And then - then the fun would really begin.

xoxox

_The Tunnels, 8:20pm_

"We're coming up to the surface" Neville said from beside Hermione as they continued up the tunnel "Maybe five minutes"

"Okay" She nodded, not taking her eyes off the darkness in front of them. 

They continued in silence for a few minutes, then Hermione raised her hand, bringing the group to a halt.

"Xy?"

"About twenty feet around the corner" He replied without looking away from the entrance. 

"Okay" She took a deep breath, then spoke quietly "I need a volunteer to stick their head out and see if it gets bitten off" Before she had finished speaking, Blaise was walking forward, sword raised "Mr Finch...." Blaise turned, looking at her curiously.

"Yes, boss?"

"I'm not kidding - we have no idea where IT is and IT really could be waiting just outside the exit of the tunnel to rip our faces off" Blaise smiled.

"I know" He paused "Do you think we should let you go first? Or maybe Nissa or GW?" She stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

"Just be careful" She said "If only because Bex is probably going to need your head at some point in the future" 

"Damn right" Sally said from in front of Hermione, making Blaise blush and the others laugh. 

"I promise that I will return with my head intact" He said, then he raised his sword again, and crept slowly up the tunnel while the others formed up in to a line across the tunnel behind him. 

A few moments later, Blaise came back with a confused look on his face.

"IT's not there" He said, talking directly to Hermione.

"But?" Blaise let a faint smile cross his face, then frowned again.

"Given how heavily it is raining out there, there is a lot of movement" He said after a moment "I didn't see any red robes - or any people, come to think of it - but whatever is going on seems to have driven some of the races out of The Forest, or at least to the edge of it" Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, then sighed.

"Okay then" She paused, then looked around the group "Mr Finch and Xyon - you two go first. Bex and Farm Boy - you two second. GW and Nissa are with me" She paused "IT's running, so IT could be anywhere. We are going to search the grounds, but we are doing it together - no one goes off alone"

"So why....." Harry started, but stopped when she continued.

"But if there are animals out there, then we have to watch each other's backs" She glanced at the two younger girls and smiled "You get to watch mine, because otherwise I'd have to watch my own, and that would just be a bit of a bugger to do" They both nodded, then she carried on in a more serious tone "I know most of the races and species are peaceful, but if it's a choice between them and us, it's us. And if you see any people you don't know, or any people you do know who hate us, it's us as well" She bit her lip.

"Non-lethal force if possible, but if they look like they will kill you, don't wait to find out" All six nodded, and she closed her eyes "I don't want to ask any of you to kill, but I don't want any of you dying either"

"We understand" Luna said.

"If you see IT, let the rest of us know, and we'll force IT towards The Chamber door - we can't fight IT in the weather out there because we'll be slaughtered" Sally raised her hand "Bex?"

"Not that I'm doubting your plan, but how are we going to find IT if we are not splitting up?" Hermione stared at her, then grinned.

"I am glad you asked" She grinned "Because I was wondering how I was going to work it in to the conversation....."

xoxox

_The Grounds, 8:30pm_

As IT sprinted through the grounds, the fear IT had been feeling earlier started to come back again. Somehow, the brats that were chasing IT were managing to find IT and force IT back towards The Castle.

Closing IT's eyes, IT checked itself for tracking spells, but found none. 

Opening IT's eyes again, IT tried running to the right then skidded to a halt as a huge line of fire appeared in front of IT, forcing IT to retreat towards The Castle again.

Turning, IT thought IT could feel the little witch-bitch staring at IT across the grounds. Then IT shook IT's head, and started sprinting in another direction.

xoxox

_The Grounds, 8:35pm_

Hermione lowered her eyes, then smiled. 

"I think we are getting to IT" She said "IT hasn't detected the spell I planted in IT's mind, and hasn't worked out how we keep....." She trailed off "Nissa, Xyon - wands! Now! Bex, Farm Boy - swords!" Before she had finished speaking, Ginny and Neville had both turned, drawing their wands and sending a stream of fireballs out towards the group of acromantulas that was coming towards them. At the same time, Sally and Harry drew their swords and walked past her - putting themselves between a group of centaurs and Hermione.

"Go back - go back to the forest you came from" Hermione yelled towards the centaur group "We have no quarrel with you, and if you leave us be, we will leave you alone" The lead centaur stared at her.

"A friend of ours told us you were coming to kill us - us and the rest of our clan!" He yelled back after a moment "If we let you go, how do we know you aren't going to come and kill us?"

"You have my word!" Hermione yelled "You are being manipulated by a dark creature - one that we are going to find and kill. But I swear - once we have done that, we are not going to be a threat to anyone, especially not you" 

"And if you were going to kill us, would you tell us in advance?" The centaur leader paused "We can't take the chance - we can't let you leave" The five centaurs raised their bows.

"DON'T DO IT!" Hermione bellowed "WE DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU, BUT IF YOU COME NEAR US, WE WILL KILL YOU ALL!!" She stared at them a moment longer, hoping they would listen to her, but then she let out a scream of frustration as the centaurs charged across the grounds towards them.

"Snidge?" Harry asked, not lowering his sword.

"Kill them" She said quietly "Mr Finch, Nissa - help them. Xyon, GW - keep an eye out for other creatures"

"Yes boss" They all said, then Ginny and Blaise drew their swords and joined Harry and Sally, while Neville and Luna continued to look around to make sure that the acromantulas didn't return.

xoxox

_The Grounds, 8:45pm_

IT stared out in to the darkness as the centaurs charged down the hill towards the seven students. 

IT had put a lot of effort in to stirring up the local wildlife, and it looked like it was paying off. 

Looking around, IT realised IT was close to the underground entrance in to The School.

"Perhaps I could use this time to feed" IT thought "If The Ball has gone ahead, there must be one or two stragglers around" IT glanced back to where the seven children were now fighting with the five centaurs, then gasped in surprise as another blaze of fire shot up in front of IT. 

"How...." IT thought for a moment, then simply turned and scampered down the tunnel. 

xoxox

_The Grounds, 8:55pm_

Sally flipped her sword over, and stabbed it in to the heart of the last of the centaurs.

"The rest of the herd will come looking for them" Blaise said, looking around with his sword still raised. 

"I know" Hermione replied quietly "And if we are here when they arrive, we will most likely die a bloody, horrible death" She paused "All in favour of not being present for that say aye"

"Aye" Six voices replied in unison.

"IT's gone down the tunnel and is making IT's way into The Chamber" She continued in the same, quiet voice "IT won't be able to escape out through Myrtle's bathroom, but IT might find another way out" She paused "Unless we stop it" She looked at each of them in turn, her gaze lingering on Luna for a moment "Anyone who wants to leave can do so now" When none of them replied, she smiled "Okay then" She turned and faced the school "Forth Eorlingas!" 

xoxox

_The Chamber Of Secrets, 9pm_

Roaring in frustration, IT morphed in to IT's spider form and charged at the door again.

And again, IT bounced off it. 

"Having problems?" Spinning on the spot, IT turned to find the seven children walking through the mouth of Salazar Slytherin.

"HOW ARE YOU NOT DEAD?" IT bellowed in their minds, causing them all to take a step backwards in response. 

"Maybe we don't die all that easily" Hermione thought quietly "After all - we have unfinished business" IT stared down at her, then she heard laughter echoing in her head. 

"You think you are ready for another trip in to the void, you little bitch?" IT asked "Last time, you got lucky"

"I know" Hermione shrugged "That's why - this time - it won't be on your terms" She paused "It will be on mine!" As she finished speaking, Harry, Sally, Luna and Ginny launched a barrage of blasting curses towards The Spider, catching it totally off guard and sending it skittering backwards until it crashed in to the door.

"Blue, Three, Seventy One" Hermione yelled, then the group scattered in to various parts of The Chamber, leaving IT scrambling to regain IT's footing.

xoxox

_Hogsmeade, 9pm_

By nine o'clock that night, the villagers who hadn't been killed by the tidal wave had been evacuated to The Ministry building and the Aurors who had been patrolling had gone with them.

Consequently, there was no one left to see when The Shrieking Shack - already three quarters under water - exploded in a massive ball of flame, sending a tower of steam nearly two miles in to the air. 

xoxox

_The Chamber, 9:10pm_

"This is your great plan?" IT's voice whispered in their minds as it crept around The Chamber "Simply to hide until I kill myself to relieve the boredom?"

"Will that work?" Luna's mind asked, making Hermione smirk and IT turn towards the left of The Chamber "Because that would be very helpful and save us a lot of effort"

"No, Loony, it will not work" IT came to a halt, then slowly turned on the spot "I am immortal, deathless and eternal. What you consider to be an age, I consider to be a moment" 

"Then you should start counting your ages" Hermione's voice flared in IT's head, then IT bounded forwards to avoid a spell coming from behind "Because you don't have many left" 

With a roar, IT span round and sent out a blast of sticky, white rope towards where Hermione had been stood. But the webbing only smashed in to a pillar. IT pulled it loose, sending boulders crashing down from the roof, then IT turned back, just as another volley of blasting curses came towards it. 

"Xyon - plan delta!" Hermione yelled, retreating up The Chamber to hide behind another of the pillars. 

Neville jumped out from a side tunnel, and raised his wand.

"INCENDIO TENARBARUS!" He cried, whipping his wand around his head. A blast of black fire flew across The Chamber, and hit the pillar IT had just dislodged.

"Newt, Farm Boy - move up" He heard Hermione yell "Finch, GW - go left. Xy.... XY!" He span round, then yelled in surprise as a giant leg crashed in to him, sending him flying backwards.

xoxox

_Hogwarts, 9:10pm_

"What in the world is that?" McGonagall yelled as a loud rumbling sound echoed through the castle. 

A few moments later, Nearly-Headless Nick and The Bloody Baron both came flying in to The Great Hall at a surprisingly fast speed, before coming to a halt in front of Dumbledore. 

"Headmaster" Nick glanced across at The Baron, then looked back at Dumbledore "Every toilet in the castle has just exploded" 

xoxox

_The Chamber, 9:10pm_

"Defrana Concusses!" Sally yelled, pointing her wand to where the spot Neville was about to crash in to, then smiled widely as Neville hit the wall and it folded in behind him, cushioning his impact. 

"INCENDIO!" Three voices yelled behind her as Harry, Blaise and Luna all sent streams of fire shooting towards the giant spider. IT dodged out of the way, then charged forward at an incredible speed. 

"Nix!" Sally yelled, and both Hermione and Ginny turned to see that the spider was now advancing on Blaise. As they both bellowed out spells, Luna realised neither of them would get there in time. 

She looked left, and saw that Harry was clear, then she turned back and - with a loud scream of defiance - she ran up to the spider, firing a stream of blasting curses as she went. 

xoxox

_Hogwarts, 9:15pm_

Dumbledore and McGonagall returned to The Great Hall, and walked over to talk to the other three Heads of Houses. 

"Is it true?" Snape asked. 

"I'm afraid it is" Dumbledore nodded "I am afraid every single toilet in the castle appears to have exploded" He paused "But they all exploded from below - from the sewerage system" 

"Something in the sewers exploded?" Flitwick asked in surprise "With enough force to blow up every toilet?" 

"So it would appear" McGonagall nodded "Do you think we should inform The Ministry?" 

"Inform The Ministry of what, Minerva?" Umbridge walked over and stared at her questioningly "Of a childish prank, probably committed by one of your Gryffindor trouble makers?"

"Dolores - while I admit that some of Minerva's students can be.... rambanctious at times, I do not believe that any of them currently possess the magical skill to cause what we have seen" Dumbledore said sharply "However, I do not think that informing The Ministry will be necessary just yet - if Hogsmeade has, indeed, been destroyed, then Minister Scrimgeour will have a great deal more to worry about without having to bother himself with this" He paused "But just to be on the safe side, could you make a count of all the students in your house, and confirm that - aside from our seven wayward students...."

"Criminals" Umbridge snarled.

"....the rest are all present and accounted for?" He looked at the four Heads of Houses "Please inform me when you have completed the count"

"Yes, Headmaster"

xoxox

_The Chamber, 9:15pm_

Harry watched in horror as the spider flicked out one giant, hairy leg, smashing it into Luna's arm. 

The young girl screamed, dropping her wand, then fell to the ground, still screaming. 

The spider advanced again, then reared up over Luna, IT's mouth opening and closing with glee. 

But before he could respond, another sound caught his attention. 

"AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" Four killing curses flew from Hermione's wand, hitting the spider on both of IT's front legs. One of them cracked, and - with a scream more terrible than anything Harry had ever heard - IT suddenly turned and started to charge towards the door. 

"Farm Boy - open it!" Hermione yelled, and before Harry could even think about questioning her he found himself shouting in Parseltongue. 

The door flew open, and IT vanished through the portal in to the underground tunnel that lead to Myrtle's bathroom. 

xoxox

_Hogwarts, 9:14pm_

After checking all of the Slytherins, Snape had realised that two of them were missing - Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. 

He had excused himself, and headed down towards the Slytherin Common Room, intending to have sharp words with Mr Malfoy and Miss Parkinson. 

As he reached the door to the common room, he paused and took a breath. 

"Angering Lucius' son will serve no purpose, Severus" He said to himself "Calm, cautious and careful" He gave a quick nod, then walked up to the portrait. 

xoxox

_The Slytherin Common Room, 9:14pm_

Draco and Pansy were sat in silence on the long sofa, facing the fireplace. 

Draco had finished his story five minutes earlier, and since then had been waiting for Pansy to respond. 

"Did you kill Ronald?" She asked. 

"No" Draco shook his head "He was one of us - I would never turn on our own"

"Do you think this Mr Gray killed him?" She looked at him intently, then - when he didn't answer - she asked again. 

"I think he did" Draco admitted after a moment, his voice quiet. Then he looked up at his girlfriend "But he must have had a reason. He has never lied to me, and he has helped me more than anyone else - even Snape or my father" Pansy stared at him for a moment, then she smiled.

"Do you think he will be able to help me as well?" Draco smiled back, and opened his mouth to respond.

But before he could get his first word out, there was a giant cracking sound from behind them. They both jumped up, spinning to see what had caused the terrifying noise. 

A second later, they knew. And a second after that - as thousands of gallons of water poured in through the shattered window - they didn't know anything else, ever again.

xoxox

_Outside The Slytherin Common Room, 9:15pm_

"Professor....." The portrait started, then suddenly - inexplicably - it bulged outwards, forcing Snape to take a step back.

"What's wrong?" He asked, suddenly worried. The lady in the portrait turned, as if staring behind her, then she turned back, looking terrified.

"I'm sorry" She said simply. Before he could ask her what she meant, the portrait exploded and a wall of water came rushing out towards him.


	27. Year 5 - Into The Black (In That Knowledge)

_The Chamber of Secrets, 9:20pm_

"Lin, honey - I need you to sit up for a moment" Harry said softly. He, along with Hermione, Sally and Blaise, were crouched next to Luna, while Neville and Ginny kept an eye on the door to The Chamber.

"Don't want to" She said from the ground "Hurts too much"

"I know, my love - I know how it hurts, but you have to sit up otherwise we can't help you" He stroked her hair softly. 

"How do you know....." She started, then suddenly she looked up at him, tears of shame in her eyes "Vernon" She said quietly.

"When I was three, he broke my arm because I screamed in my sleep and woke him up" Harry replied softly "I know how much you are hurting, love of my love, but if we don't help you, you will have to wait here while we all go off to our bloody, violent death at the hands of a giant space spider" Luna stared at him, then slowly pushed herself up until she was sitting with her back to the wall.

"This might hurt a little, GW, but trust me - it will feel better after I am done" Hermione said, pulling out her wand. 

"I trust you" Luna said with a nod, followed by a wince.

"You probably shouldn't move until I'm done either" Hermione added, making Luna smile.

"Now you tell me" She rolled her eyes. Hermione smiled, then began a soft, slow chant under her breath. Harry bit his lip as Luna's eyes filled with pain again, then he relaxed as a genuine smile came across her face for the first time since she had been injured.

"Feeling better?" He asked, and she grinned widely at him.

"Oh god yes" Without waiting for him to respond, she turned and flung her arms around Hermione "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" 

"I live to serve" Hermione said with a laugh.

xoxox

_The Great Hall, 9:35pm_

"Good grief - what happened to you, Professor?" Susan and Hannah stared at Snape in disbelief as - waterlogged and dishevelled - he made his way into The Great Hall. 

"Miss Bones - if you will excuse me, I have to talk to Professor Dumbledore" He replied without stopping "But if the pair of you wouldn't mind, can you prevent anyone else from leaving for the next five minutes or so - there is a lot of water around, and I wouldn't want anyone slipping and hurting themselves"

"Yes, sir" They both nodded, then - as he trudged off down The Hall - they both looked out of the doors. 

"Sue.... is that..." Hannah asked. Susan looked across to where Hannah was pointing, and then frowned.

"The stairs to the dungeons are flooded?" She turned to see Snape talking to Dumbledore, McGonagall and Umbridge "Hannah - I have a bad feeling about this"

xoxox

"I think that evacuation would be premature, Professor Snape" Umbridge said firmly "We wouldn't want to give the impression that we can not cope, would we?"

"Professor Umbridge...." Snape started, then he took a deep breath and let it out slowly "The window in my common room is gone. The entire dungeon level is now a part of The Black Lake, and two of my students - members of your Loyalty Patrol - are dead" For just a moment, he flashed on the image of the mangled corpses of Draco and Pansy floating past him, then he shook his head and turned to Dumbledore.

"Given everything else that has happened tonight, Albus, how long are we going to wait before we do something?" He paused "How many more people are going to die before we get the hell out of here?" 

xoxox

_The Chamber of Secrets, 9:40pm_

Hermione looked at her six friends, then smiled.

"Does everyone have their crystals?" She asked, and they all nodded "Okay - from what I can tell, IT is stuck under the sinks in the bathroom - trying to force IT's way out. If we come up behind IT, and blast a whole in the sinks, we can make IT think IT is escaping"

"What if IT does?" Ginny asked "What if we can't catch IT?"

"Then we go after IT" Hermione grinned "But trust me - I don't think it will come to that" She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword "Anyone who...."

"If you say that again, sister of mine, I will put you over my knee and spank you until your bottom turns purple" Harry said with a slight smile. Luna looked at him, then turned to Hermione.

"You were saying?" She said, making Harry roll his eyes, and everyone else laugh.

xoxox

_Myrtle's Bathroom, 9:40pm_

Myrtle floated back and forth, gazing at the sinks with a worried expression. 

Her friends were in trouble - all the gossip around the school suggested they were wanted for murder and on the run. Yet more gossip suggested that the seven of them had run away, and were even now fleeing the country. 

She knew that wasn't true. Hermione and the other six were not going to leave the school, let alone the country, before the creature was dead.

And now she was getting a fair idea of where they were. The creature was coming up through the tunnel from The Chamber, and she would bet everything she owned that The Losers were coming up after it. 

"What can I do to help?" She asked herself, and then - as the sink suddenly exploded open and a giant spider shot out of it towards her - she realised she already knew the answer.

xoxox

IT scuttled down the bathroom, then stopped as eight girls appeared in front of it.

"YOU CAN NOT PASS!" The eight girls bellowed in unison. IT stared at them for a moment longer, then scuttled through them. 

"Well - that worked" Seven of the girls vanished, leaving Myrtle on her own. Turning back, she smiled as Hermione climbed out of the ruins of the sink, followed by the others.

"I held IT up as long as I could" She said "Sorry I couldn't stop IT"

"No worries" Hermione waved her hand "But if you could go and tell Filius and Pomona what's going on, and that they should possibly consider evacuating the school, I would be most grateful"

"Consider it done" Myrtle nodded, then vanished. 

xoxox

_The Second Floor Corridor, 9:45pm_

The Spider scuttled down the corridor, not bothering to disguise where IT was headed. The whole school would be in The Great Hall, and with the level of destruction IT had seen in IT's journey across the grounds, IT could feast all night and The Ministry wouldn't know any difference - chalking up any deaths to the general chaos and mayhem of the evening.

As IT reached the main stairwell, seven silvery figures suddenly raced past IT, then - in perfect unison - turned and charged back towards IT. 

"More ghosts?" IT internal rolled IT's eyes "Are you so short of ideas?" IT continued forward, intending to ignore the line of ghostly figures in front of IT. 

But a few seconds later - just as IT started down the stairs - the seven shining people grabbed hold of IT's legs, and IT felt more pain than IT had ever experienced in IT's life. 

xoxox

_The Second Floor Corridor, 9:45pm_

"NOW!" Hermione yelled.

xoxox

_The Main Stairwell, 9:45pm_

As IT struggled to escape the pain caused by the patronuses, IT heard a series of spells being yelled out from behind IT, then IT screamed again as IT was blown off IT's feet and sent hurtling down to the bottom of the stairs.

With a crash that seemed to shake the very foundations of the school, IT smashed in to the floor, cracking the tiles beneath it as IT fell. 

xoxox

_The Ministry, 9:45pm_

"Minister....." Ameila Bones started, then paused as the entire building seemed to shake.

xoxox

_Diagon Alley, 9:45pm_

The shoppers in Diagon Alley looked around in surprise as what felt like an earthquake ripped through the alley. 

Then, less than a minute later, it stopped, leaving them all staring at each in confusion.

xoxox

_Hogsmeade, 9:45pm_

A huge geyser of water erupted upwards and outwards, obliterating most of the buildings on the high street. 

xoxox

_The Great Hall, 9:46pm_

As The Great Hall stopped shaking, Dumbledore realised that a number of students were rushing towards the doors to The Entrance Hall. 

"Filius...." He started, but realised that Flitwick was paying no attention to him and rushing in the same direction as the students.

xoxox

"Miss Bones, Miss Abbott - I believe that the time we discussed has come" Flitwick said, coming to a halt near the crowd of students staring out at the body of the giant spider that had fallen down the stairs "Spread the word - no one goes out there"

"Sir, yes sir!" Hannah saluted, then she turned to talk to the others, while Susan helped Flitwick put up a see-through barrier by the door. 

"Filius - what is going on?" Dumbledore had pushed his way through the crowd of students and come up beside him.

"This is none of your concern, Albus - I would suggest you leave it be" Flitwick replied without stopping his charm work. 

"PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!" Umbridge had stalked up "What is...." She trailed off as she caught sight of the spider in The Entrance Hall "What the hell is that?"

"I was trying to ascertain that, Dolores" Dumbledore snapped "That is if Filius will let me" Umbridge turned to stare at Flitwick, but then caught sight of seven children descending the main stairs.

"There they are!" She yelled, but as she took a step forward, she found two dozen wands pointed in her direction, including those of Flitwick and Sprout "What is this?" 

"As I informed Albus, what is happening out there is none of your business, and if you are wise you will leave it alone" Flitwick said quietly but firmly.

"I am the High Inquisitor and you will let me pass!" Umbridge yelled. 

"No, I won't" Flitwick said in the same quiet, firm voice, then - with a slight smile - added "Madame Inquisitor" Umbridge stared at him, eyes flaming with anger, then took another step forward to push past him.

"STUPEFY!" Four stunning spells hit her, and she collapsed to the ground. Flitwick looked down at her, then up at Dumbledore.

"Consider that a warning, Albus" He said, then he turned to look through the barrier as The Losers reached the ground floor, and moved in to a loose circle around the spider.

xoxox

_The Entrance Hall, 9:52pm_

"Is IT dead?" Ginny asked quietly, staring at the body. But Hermione was saved the trouble of answering when the legs started twitching. 

Hermione glanced across at the doors to The Great Hall, saw Flitwick staring back at her, and smiled.

"Everyone get your crystals ready" She said, turning back to the group. Taking a step forward, she drew her sword and swung it viciously at one of IT's legs. 

A scream piereced their mind, and suddenly the spider began to shrink back into itself. 

A few seconds later, Pennywise the clown lay on the ground in front of them, in IT's typical silver suit and orange buttons. 

A suit, Hermione thought, that is looking decidedly worse for wear.

"Crystals, now!" She called out. The others all put a small, white crystal down on the floor, forming a circle around the body. 

"Cage our foe with these crystals white" She said "Save us with their magic light" A dome of white light flashed into existence, anchored to each of the stones, completely surrounding Pennywise.

"Very impressive" Pennywise said in a sneering voice, then he sat up and looked through the shimmering white light at Hermione "But how long do you thing you can hold me here, bitch?"

"Just as long as it takes to kill you" Hermione replied calmly, then looked over at Sally "It's time" Sally nodded.

xoxox

From inside The Great Hall, the assembled students and staff watched in near silence as the scene played out in front of them. 

_"Emily, Lucy, Ronald and Tom. We call on you know - we call you to come"_

"Are they doing what I think they are doing?" Sprout asked from behind Flitwick.

"I think they are" Flitwick nodded, not looking away.

_"We call to you Alice, to Lily, to Cho. Come stand beside us, now let it be so"_

"Necromancy?" Dumbledore exclaimed, then stared at Flitwick and Sprout "I command you to let me stop this foolishness! They are messing with things they can not possibly understand!" When Flitwick didn't respond, Dumbledore took a step forward, found himself facing the wands of thirty students, then took a step back.

"If you try to interfere again, I will kill you" Flitwick said simply. Dumbledore stared at him, then turned his gaze back to The Entrance Hall.

xoxox

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Pennywise asked "Think of what you are throwing away if you kill me"

"A child-eating monster who killed my sister?" Hermione stared back at IT "I think the world can live without you"

"Ah - but what about Alice? What about Cho? What about the others I have trapped in my mind?" IT looked over at Neville "Your parents are not a lost caused, Drippy - I, and I alone can save them" Hermione looked across at Neville, who simply shrugged.

_"In this place and in this hour, we call upon your strength and power"_

"I would rather have them trapped like that forever than have you save them" He said "That way, when I meet them again beyond the veil, I will be able to look them in the eyes"

xoxox

Dumbledore stared at The Clown in mounting horror as he realised what it was confessing to. 

xoxox

"You would willingly destroy a living witness to all your history?" Pennywise looked back at Hermione "You know who I am - you know how long I have lived. Think of the things I could teach your society!"

"Like how to murder and eat children?" Hermione snapped back "I am not sure that would help them"

_"Come down to our sides, come down to this place"_

"But think of all the lost magic that I alone now know!" Pennywise said, his voice becoming seductive "The healing spells, the cures for all known diseases" IT paused, then looked over to where Dumbledore and the others were watching "Counters to your unforgivable curses and the lost knowledge of The Founders" 

xoxox

_"....of The Founders"_

"Filius! You can not let them kill it! Not if it knows so much!" Dumbledore looked around "Severus? Minerva? Help me!" Snape looked at the line of students arrayed in front of him, then turned back to Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry Albus, but I will not interfere" 

"Minerva?" McGonagall bit her lip, then shook her head as well. 

"I agree with you, but Severus is correct - I am not going to use force against students, Albus" She said quietly. Dumbledore looked at her with annoyance, then shrugged.

"Very well, but on your own heads be it" He turned back to the doors just in time to see Sally finish the spell.

xoxox

_"And banish this evil from time and space!"_

For a moment, nothing happened. Then seven ghostly figures started to appear, one behind each of The Losers. They materialised slowly at first, but soon got more and more solid, until there were seven fully corporeal figures floating behind the seven students.

Pennywise looked around, then looked back at Hermione.

"You think I am afraid of them?" IT sneered at her "I killed most of them already, and those I didn't are trapped in my deadlights" 

xoxox

"Ron?" Fred stared at the ghost behind Ginny "George - that's Ron!"

"I know!" George stared at the ghostly figure of his younger brother "And that clown - that monster killed him" He drew his wand, but then he felt a hand on his arm, and looked round to see Sprout staring sympathetically at him. 

"Don't" She said softly. 

"It killed him...."

"And Snidge will take care of it" Sprout said "If you go out there, you will get yourself killed" George stared at her defiantly for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Just remember what you see" Sprout continued "Remember what you see, and make sure it is not forgotten" The twins stared at her, then they both nodded.

xoxox

"Severus - the ghost behind Zabini. Does he look at all familiar?" Minerva asked. Snape stared at the young boy in question, then his mouth fell open in surprise.

"If I didn't know better, Minvera, I would say that was a very young Tom Marvolo Riddle" He continued to stare at the ghost of Voldemort "But The Dark Lord....." He trailed off, frowning "Merlin's Pants - what if Potter and Granger weren't lying?" He turned to stare at her intently "They have always insisted The Dark Lord is dead" He looked back at the students and the ghosts "What if they are right?"

xoxox

"That is why we called them - why we summoned them to fight you" Hermione stared back at Pennywise "After all - if anyone wants you dead more than we do it would be the people you butchered!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the ghosts behind her friends all nod once. Pennywise stared at her, then slowly got to his feet. 

"Goodbye, Pennywise" She continued, drawing her sword "And may whatever god you believe in have mercy on your soul, because I sure as hell won't" As she finished speaking, the other six Losers drew their swords, and the seven ghosts floated forward and rested their hands on the shoulders of the student in front of them. 

"EXTRACTUS....." Hermione started, but then Pennywise suddenly morphed in to IT's spider form. The crystal cage shattered and everyone was flung backwards - passing through the ghosts and falling to the floor. 

"YOU THINK YOU CAN CAGE ME?" The voice yelled in their heads "NOW - NOW I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL!"

xoxox

Flitwick winced as he heard the voice in his head. A glance around The Great Hall made him realise he wasn't the only one.

"They're going to die" Susan yelled, tugging at his arm.

"We have to help!" Hannah added.

"And the best help you can give them is to let them do what they were prophesied to do" He insisted "You've trusted in Hermione up to now - just give her your trust for a few minutes more"

xoxox

Hermione shook her head to clear it, then looked up to find The Spider standing over her.

"Ready to die, bitch?" 

"NO!" Luna's voice split the air, and before The Spider could turn, Luna had run up behind it, followed by the ghost of Cho, and stabbed The Sword of Aeons into IT's leg. 

"NOW" Cho reached out and touched Luna's shoulder. A halo of red light surrounded the two of them, then she withdrew The Sword and swung at The Spider again, hacking the leg in to two. 

"TAKE HEART MEN OF ROHAN!" Hermione nearly laughed as both Neville and Blaise came running from where they had fallen, Alice Longbottom and Tom Riddle right behind them. As Neville raised Rhindon, his mother touched his shoulder, creating a bright blue glow around them. He slashed at another of IT's leg, and split it down the middle.

Enveloped in a bright green light, Blaise swung Excalibur and it cut through IT's third leg like butter.

"TAKE HEART MEN OF GONDOR!" Ginny and Sally - Ron and Lucy tailing them - bounded over. A moment later, a pink light surrounded Ginny as she used Nelkala to sever another of The Spider's legs, while Sally - cloaked in a purple light - did the same to a fifth leg with Narsil.

Screaming in agony, The Spider collapsed on the ground, unable to move. 

Hermione climbed slowly to her feet as Harry and his mother walked over to the spider. She picked up her sword, but waited for her brother - cloaked in yellow light - to raise The Master Sword and take off another of The Spider's legs.

As her friends moved in to a circle around the now helpless creature, she walked over to IT and looked IT in the eye. 

"You think you've won?" IT said - voice noticeably weaker than it had been before "I will heal. I will get better. And then I will kill you. You and all your friends"

"You are dying" She said quietly "Now - if you beg, I can make it quick. If not....." She paused "If not, I can draw it out for an eternity" She raised her sword "So what's it to be, Mr Gray?"

"If you think I am going to beg for anything from you, you are sadly mistaken you BITCH!" 

"My name is not bitch" She said "My name is Hermione Jane Potter-Granger" The ghost of Emily Brown floated up behind her, smiling widely as she realised what her sister was about to say "You killed my sister" Harry rolled his eyes, while Ginny nearly burst out laughing "Prepare to die!" She lifted up her sword and - as Emily touched her shoulder, and she found herself enveloped in the brightest white light she had ever seen - she stared down at the monster below her.

"This is The Vorpal Sword, Mr Gray" She said "A weapon used by heroes of old to kill the most dark and evil creatures imaginable. It brings she who holds it Victory over Pestilence, Ruin and Lust" She smiled "And now, it is mine" She pointed the sword straight down "In that knowledge, you bastard, DESPAIR AND DIE!" With one swift move, she thrust the sword downwards.

xoxox

_Hogsmeade, 10:05pm_

The water that had flooded the village nearly four hours earlier suddenly vanished as the earth beneath it cracked open.

Seconds later, the buildings along Main Street followed the water in to the hole and less than half an hour after that, the village of Hogsmeade had vanished without a trace.

xoxox

_The Ministry Of Magic, 10:05pm_

The crowds of refugees in The Ministry stared in disbelief as The Statue of Magical Unity exploded. A second later, hundreds of mages cast shield spells to protect themselves from falling rubble. 

xoxox

_The Chamber Of Secrets,10:05pm_

The statue of Salazar Slytherin - a statue that had stood on that spot for over a thousand years - cracked and then shattered, collapsing to the ground. The ceiling above - now lacking any type of support - collapsed as well, burying the entire Chamber in rubble. 

xoxox

_Hogwarts, 10:05pm_

As the entire castle shook to its very foundations, lightening struck The Astronomy Tower, exploding every window and setting fire to the portraits and tapestries. 

In the thirty minutes it took for the fires to be put out, dozens of tapestries and hundreds of portraits were damaged beyond repair. 

xoxox

_The Great Hall, 10:05pm_

"SHIELDS!" Susan yelled over the din "PROTEGO!" Her cry was taken up by the rest of Lucinda's Army, and soon a solid shield of yellow appeared above the students and staff - blocking the candles, banners and rubble that fell from the walls and ceiling as the castle continued to shudder.

xoxox

_The Forbidden Forest, 10:05pm_

The fire came shooting up from the ground in countless places, torching every tree it touched. 

The centaur herd - already frightened from the earthquake twenty minutes before - fled before the flames, only just escaping with their lives.

The acromantula clan - their lair far deeper in the forest than the centaur herd would dare to roam - were not so lucky, and every single one of them was burned alive.

The fire burned for another two hours before anyone noticed it, and it was another hour after that before it was put out. By the time the last flames were extinguished, nearly 85% of the forest had burned to the ground, leaving a black, scorched earth where nothing would ever grow again.

xoxox

All through Magical Britain, people looked up in confusion - all feeling that something was missing, but none of them knowing what it was. 

xoxox

_The Entrance Hall, 10:06pm_

Hermione pulled her sword out of the spider's skull, then dropped it on the ground. She looked around to find her friends all smiling back at her.

And, for the first time since Emily had been killed, she felt truly and completely happy. 

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Emily floating in front of her.

"Thank you" She said softly. Emily simply nodded, then slowly faded out of view. A moment later, she saw Lily, Lucy, Ron and Tom do the same. 

"Where did Alice and Cho go?" She asked, but before anyone could respond, there was a loud cracking sound, followed by the noise of a thousand windows shattering.

"GET THEM!" Umbridge's voice came from The Great Hall, and Hermione realised that Flitwick's spell had collapsed, and Umbridge would be coming for them any second.

Stooping down, she picked up her sword, then looked at her friends again.

"Time to go"


	28. Epilogue - Graduation Day

Umbridge opened her eyes to find Theodore Nott stood over her, wand in his hand.

"Professor" He said quietly "Flitwick and Sprout are still stopping anyone from leaving, and Granger is performing necromancy in The Entrance Hall" Umbridge stared at her for a moment, then she stood up and drew her wand.

"Tell the rest of The SLP to be ready to act" She said quietly "But don't go until I give the word"

"Yes, Professor" Nott nodded, then turned and vanished back in to the throng of students. Umbridge pushed her way slowly through the crowd until she stood next to Dumbledore.

"Professor - I am glad to see you back with us again" He smiled politely.

"Why is this farce still going on?" She asked "Why haven't you stopped them?"

"I have endeavoured to persuade them, Dolores, but they seem committed to this course" He turned to face her "And given the situation, I am unwilling to use force against the students in this hall"

"Even the ones who are currently defying you?" She shook her head "I am empowered to act when the security of the...."

"You will NOT attack my students, Dolores" Fire flared in Dumbledore's eyes, and Umbridge found herself taking a step back before she realised what she was doing. 

"You dare to threaten me?" She asked. Dumbledore stared at her impassively, and she tilted her head to one side "Very well - I will follow your lead for the moment, but when this crisis is over, I expect you to let me do my duty"

"I would expect nothing less" Dumbledore gave her a stiff smile.

_"In that knowledge, you bastard, DESPAIR AND DIE!"_

As The Vorpal sword pierced the skin of the spider creature, The Great Hall started shaking. 

"SHIELDS!" A voice yelled from Dumbledore's right, but before he could see who had shouted, a barrier of yellow light snapped in to existence above his head. 

A minute later, the shaking tailed off and the cascade of falling debris ended, Dumbledore looked out of the doors to see Hermione yanking the sword out of the creature's head. 

"Well, Dumbledore?" Umbridge asked "Now that that thing is dead, will you let me do my......" The sound of shattering glass interrupted her, as did the sight of Flitwick wincing in pain.

"Filius?" He asked, but Flitwick didn't answer. Umbridge strode forwards, raising her wand. 

"SLP! Come with me!" She yelled, amplifying her voice as she went.T he various members of the Student Loyalty Patrol started making their way through the crowd of students. When they had lined up behind her, she pointed out in to The Entrance Hall and yelled "GET THEM!"

xoxox

"Nissa, Xyon take point" Blaise called out "Teeny, Farm Boy - with me on the rear. Galinda - protect Snidge, no matter the cost" Luna nodded.

"I don't need...." Hermione started, but then Umbridge, followed by a number of The SLP students came running out of The Great Hall "Never mind! Listen to Finch!" 

xoxox

"Lucinda's Army! To me!" Hannah cried, drawing her wand "This is what we've been training for - this is why she taught us!" She turned and sprinted towards the doors "Come on!"

"Miss Abbott!" Flitwick called "If you attack Umbridge or The SLP....."

"We are aware of the consequences Professor" George called out as he ran past the Charms Professor "But they will kill them if we don't help" With that, he vanished through the doors with the rest of the students.

"George is right" Sprout said, walking up beside Flitwick "We have to help them" 

"I will not have my staff....." Dumbledore started, but before he could finish, both Flitwick and Sprout each pulled an envelope out of their robes. They handed the envelopes to Dumbledore.

"We are no longer your staff, Albus" Sprout said calmly "So - if you will excuse us - we are going to stop someone who is still a member of your staff from killing our friends" They both turned on the spot, and vanished.

xoxox

"If we can get to The Room of Requirement, we can escape to The White Room" Blaise said, glancing over his shoulder. 

"But what then?" Ginny asked "If we're still wanted for murder and whatever else Umbitch can invent, can we really get away?"

"INCENDIO!" Sally shot off a blast of fire, forcing Umbridge to dodge to the right "They are catching up!"

"RICTUMSEMPRA" Harry yelled, then he grinned as the spell hit Crabbe in the chest, and he fell to the ground, giggling madly. 

"If Mum and Dad can get us to Gringotts, we will be under the protection of The Goblin Race" Hermione said "Umbitch won't dare touch us then"

"TRANMATUS REVALSO!" Umbridge's voice filled the corridor, and then The Losers skidded to a halt as a giant stone wall filled the corridor in front of them. 

"DROP YOUR WANDS!" As Umbridge and The SLP came in to view, Harry, Sally and Neville all moved to stand between Hermione and the oncoming group. 

"Miss Granger - you and your friends are under arrest for murder, treason, terrorism, criminal damage and sedition" Umbridge said, a smug smile on her face "I advise you to come quietly, because The Minister has given me permission to bring you in by any means necessary"

"We didn't kill Ron Weasley" Hermione replied "Everyone here knows that"

"Your defence is a giant spider? One that everyone here saw you kill?" Umbridge laughed "Do you really think anyone will believe you?" She shook her head "You and your band of miscreants are at my mercy now, Granger, and there is no one coming to save you" 

"STUPEFY!" A dozen stunning spells flew at Umbridge and The SLP students from behind. 

"REDUCTO!" Another twelve blasting spells made quick work of the wall blocking the corridor.

"Go! Go now!" Susan yelled as she and the rest of Lucinda's Army continued their attack on Umbridge. Hermione gave her a quick smile, then turned and continued down the corridor.

xoxox

Flitwick and Sprout stood in front of The Room of Requirement, pacing back and forth with their wands drawn. 

"Did Sidney offer you a job as well?" Flitwick asked as they continued to pace.

"He would like me to advise on the scholarships program" Sprout smiled "Gringotts are going to manage them and we're going to ensure they are handed out fairly" She smiled "I think we are going to do a lot of good" She paused "What about you?"

"They have prevailed upon me to manage a new research division that will operate in the commercial arm of EBH" He replied "Angelo and Augusta believe there is a lot of magic out there that our society knows nothing about or have forgotten about" He paused "Pennywise might have been evil, but he was right - the evidence that The Founders and The Old Ones knew magic that we don't is undeniable" 

"And you are going to find it?"

"The new division will have an unlimited budget and carte blanche to explore any avenue that might lead us to success" He smiled "It is pretty much everything I have ever dreamed of, Pomona, and I think that it will be the best thing I can ever do"

"What will do you with the research?" She asked "I mean - if it is part of the commercial arm of EBH, it suggests you are going to use it for profit?"

"From a certain point of view" Flitwick admitted "But do you really think that - say - we discovered how to shield form the killing curse that Sidney and Jennifer would sell it to the highest bidder? Or only let the rich have the secret?" Pomona shook her head "Any profit generated will be put back in to EBH, and hopefully lead to yet further discoveries" He smiled "LIke you - I think we can do a lot of good"

xoxox

"STUPEFY! STUPEFY! STUPEFY!" Susan ducked as Umbridge sent a volley of stunning curses down the corridor. 

"Sue" Hannah said "We can't keep this up" Susan turned to stare at her "Terry's arm is broken. Fred and George are unconscious. Most of the others are hurt" She waved up the corridor. 

"But Umbridge...."

"They can deal with her" Hannah said emphatically "We can't, and we have to get the rest of these to the infirmary" Susan stared at her for a moment longer, then nodded reluctantly. 

"Okay" She paused "Retreat" 

xoxox

Ginny and Neville looked down the corridor, then turned back to the group.

"It looks empty" Ginny said "We should probably have a clear line from here to The Room" 

"Okay" Hermione nodded "Do you want to stay....." They both nodded "Is anyone going to let me finish a....."

"No" Luna said with a smirk.

xoxox

Umbridge crept down the corridor and peered around the corner. 

"Think you can humiliate me, you little mudblood bitch?" She whispered to herself "You will regret the day your muggle wench of a mother spawned you" 

xoxox

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The Losers span round as the killing curse flew down the corridor, heading straight for Hermione. 

Without thinking, Luna stepped in front of Hermione, ensuring the curse would hit her first.

"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" Her mouth fell open in surprise as two sets of armour few in front of her, only to explode a moment later as Umbridge's killing curse hit them. 

"The seven of you can leave now" Flitwick said, his voice dripping with anger as he and Sprout rounded the corner "We will take care of The High Inquisitor" 

"Yes, Professor" Hermione nodded, then - without looking back - she lead her friends round the corner.

"You can't touch me" Umbridge said, her voice wavering. 

"You attempted to use an unforgivable curse on a child, Dolores" Flitwick said in a low, flat voice "On the Heir to one of the Oldest Families, and someone we both happen to care a great deal about" He let a wicked, predatory smile cross his face "We are not going to kill you, Dolores but trust me - the day will come when you look back on this moment and you will wish we had"

xoxox

"Show us our home" Hermione said, then she pushed the door open and lead the others in to a perfect replica of the front room at Grimmauld Place. She glanced at the others.

"Anyone who wants to say goodbye to the school should do it now, because we won't be coming back" They simply shrugged, making her smile.

"Very well" She looked up at the roof "We need a door to The White Room" The door appeared in front of her, and she smiled "Thank you, room and goodbye"

xoxox

They emerged into The White Room a few seconds later, the door vanishing as Blaise closed it behind him. 

For a few seconds, they simply stood there, looking around, then they turned as the door to the house was flung open, and their parents came in. 

"Hermione?" Jennifer said, staring at the seven students in surprise and wonder.

"Yes, mother" Hermione nodded with a warm smile "We're home"


	29. Hogwarts : An Unofficial History, Part 5

_14th February, 2021_

Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the day we went down into the black, and the after affects of that - and our flight from the country - are still being felt in Magical Britain today.

The first few days after we left the castle were spent recovering from the events of that night. Putting out fires, repairing the damage and burying the dead. 

After that..... well - after that came the political fall out, which was a great deal worse and a lot more protracted.

In their last act before leaving the caste for good, Filius and Pomona turned Umbridge over to The Aurors, along with oath-bound statements about her attempted use of a killing curse on a student.

She came to trial three weeks later, and - after being subjected to a veritaserum cross-examination - was convicted and sent to Akzaban for the rest of her life. 

Which, as it turned out, was only two years. After being subjected to the dementors for that long, she took her own life and was found hanged from the bars of her cell. 

A week after her conviction, Minister Scrimgeour was suspended from his post. Eight days after that, Amelia Bones was elected as Minister of Magic by a unanimous vote. From all reports, Scrimgeour left the country and moved to America. 

Her first act was to investigate the possibility of rebuilding Hogsmeade, but that was soon given up as a lost cause. No amount of magic would close the crack that ran through the site of the village, and eventually it was decided that a new village would have to be built on the other side of the castle. 

That was completed seventeen years ago, and The New Town (a name picked by The Wizengamot, as you can probably tell) has grown from strength to strength.

Hogwarts itself is still going as well, although there have been quite a few changes. Not least of which was the dismissal of Dumbledore ten years ago following his conviction for attempted kidnapping, conspiracy, illegal entry in to another country and terrorism.

Apparently after fourteen years of trying to have the seven of us extradited to Britain to face charges relating to the murder of Ronald Weasley, Dumbledore completely lost the plot and decided to return us to the UK himself.

Unfortunately, following a similar attempt by Molly and Bill eight years before, all of our extended family had our wards strengthened and an early warning system put in place.

So when - one night, five and a half years ago - he came to our house, things didn't go as well as he was expecting.

That night, Luna, Lily, Cassandra, James and I were woken up when our wards started screaming in the middle of the night.

Ten seconds later - before we were even fully awake - Viktor, Hermione, Ginny and Neville appeared in our front room and - while Luna and I took our kids to the panic room - our friends disabled and captured Dumbledore as he tried to hack his way through our wards. 

He was extradited to Britain (The French Government decided they wanted him out of the country as soon as possible) where he was put on trial and sent to Azkaban for a year, as well as being stripped of every title he held.

On his release, he decided to announce the contents of the prophecy - and his belief that I, Harry James Potter, was the only one who could defeat Lord Voldemort. 

I suppose his plan was to sway public opinion in to forcing me to return home and deal with The Dark Lord. And it might have worked, had not Lucinda's Army come out of retirement.

The day after his announcement, The Quibbler ran an interview with Susan and Hannah Abbott-Bones, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall and every other member of The LA, in which every single one of them swore under oath that - on the night we vanquished IT - the ghost of Tom Marvolo Riddle had appeared and The Spider had confessed to killing him. Along side it, The Quibbler ran an editorial suggesting that - following his time in Azkaban, Dumbledore had become a little deranged, and that it was probably time for him to retire from public life so that he could enjoy his final years in peace and quiet.

Dumbledore hasn't been seen in public since, and I for one am hoping he dies cold, alone and miserable. But, then again, my wife has always said I am too charitable for my own good.

But while I am making it sound like the past twenty five years have been all misery and heartache, the reality could not be further from the truth. 

Since the night we arrived in France, things have just got better and better.

Three years and a day after we arrived, Hermione and Viktor were married. The day after that, Sally and Blaise tied the knot. Then the next day was Ginny and Neville's turn, and the day after Luna and I were wed. 

(We all agreed that Hermione should be first, and the rest of us just played Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide the order). 

And now, eighteen years later, Hermione and Viktor have two daughters (Emily and Lucinda), and while Hermione is now Chief Executive Officer of EBH, Viktor is coaching the French Quidditch Team . 

Neville is teaching Herbology and Advanced Charms at Beauxbatons, while Ginny runs one of the largest magical primary schools in France, employing ten staff - including Frank, Alice and Augusta Longbottom, Luna's father and their own son, Ronald. 

Blaise and Sally have four children - twin boys and twin girls (James, Victor, Jane and Danielle). Blaise spends his time managing his mother's potion company, while Sally is enjoying working with Viktor as the Seeker on The French Team - a partnership that has won the last two World Cups and a number of international friendlies. 

Our collective parents are now all enjoying their retirement - even Frank, Alice, August and Xeno are having fun guiding the next generation in to their future.

Filius and Pomona are still working for EBH, despite both being approached to run Hogwarts after Dumbledore was dismissed. Under Pomona's direction the scholarship program has expanded to four times its original size, and Filius' research division has made several discoveries that have improved the lives of thousands of mages around the world. 

And, as of this writing, neither has shown any inclination of wanting to return to their old school, or even their old country. But then - the same can be said of every single one of us.

And as for me - Luna and I divide our time between raising our three children and our management roles at EBH, and are both ludicrously happy. 

xoxox

Which seems like a good enough place as any to bring this journal to an end. 

When I started it, I said I would tell you the history of IT, and the part we played in it. About how we went into the black, and how we brought IT's reign of terror to an end.

I also said that this would never be published, except amongst those who already know. 

But today is a somewhat special day, because today is the day we tell our story to the next generation. Today our children will learn the truth about their parents, and about the world that we came from. 

And so I bid you a fond farewell as I lay down my pen for the last time. 

xoxox

Harry puts his pen down on the desk, and closes the book up with a fond smile. 

"Jamie? Are you in here?" His wife's voice calls from outside his office.

"Yes, love of my love, I'm in here" He picks up the book and slips it in to his pocket, then bounds over to the office door and pulls it open to find Luna, eyes bright with merriment and love, standing on the other side.

"Bex, Finch and the twins have just arrived, and Snidge is just waiting for you to start her story, my love" 

"Then let us keep her waiting no longer, my heart"

xoxox

As Harry and Luna walk in to the garden and take their seats, Hermione looks out over the assembled group - parents and children, friends and family - and smiles. Taking a deep breath, she starts to speak. 

"Everyone knows the story of The Boy Who Lived" She says "But everyone is wrong"


	30. Disclaimer & Notes

**Disclaimer**

IT belongs to Stephen King.

Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

The Vorpal Sword belongs to Lewis Caroll, although the reference to "Victory over Pestilence, Ruin and Lust" comes from a book named "The Mirror" by Graham Masterton.

The Master Sword comes from The Zelda Series of games.

The Sword of Aeons comes from The Fable Series of games.

Rhindon belongs to CS Lewis. 

Excalibur doesn't really belong to anyone, or belongs to too many people to list.

Narsil belongs to JRR Tolkien.

Nelkala (the name) belongs to me, although Xena remains the property of whoever owns the rights to the series.

Dune was written by Frank Herbert.

The Green Gables series belong to Lucy Maud Montgomery. 

The Princess Bride belongs to Simon Morgenstern. 

The White Room was a concept borrowed from "Angel", which belongs to Joss Whedon.

Penelope Bailey belongs to Mike Resnick, author of the excellent "Oracle Trilogy"

"V" belongs to Alan Moore.

The Alien belongs to Dan O'Bannon.

Elphaba (The Wicked Witch Of The West) belongs both to L. Frank Baum and Gregorory Maguire. As does Galinda, come to think of it.

Gollum belongs to JRR Tolkien as well.

Death and The Hell Hound don't really belong to anyone.

Quite a lot of Luna's Birthday Party was based on ideas from "Pirates of The Caribbean", and the whole of Blaise's Party was based on the game "Mario Party".

And the quote about "demons run when...." comes from the sixth series of Dr Who (2005).

I am aware that in the three parts of Into The Black I have probably made a lot of references to other things that are not in this disclaimer. If that is the case, I am not attempting to claim any ownership or copyright, but simply too lazy to go through the story and look them up. 

Consequently, if there is anything that you think you recognise from TV, Movies, Books or the like, then there are good odds you probably aren't imagining it. 

But having said that, I am very proud of this story, and would look badly on anyone who misuses it. 

So, if you wish to repost this (and the other two parts) anywhere else, you may under the following conditions :-

1) You leave this disclaimer intact (so no one gets sued)  
2) You credit me as the author.  
3) You do NOT charge for reading it.  
4) You tell me where it is posted.

**Notes**

Well - I'm done. 

According to the site I write these stories on, I started Into The Black on the 15th of November, 2010 with the intention of writing a 35-40 chapter story.

Clearly it turned out a little longer - 103 chapters and around 400,000 words - but over all I am very happy with the way it turned out. 

I think the main reason it ran on so long was that - as with Stephen King's original masterpiece - the story of the seven children became way more than a simple fight against a shape-changing alien spider from space... which is not a sentence you get to write every day, unless you write fiction which is why writing fiction is so much fun!

It became about them, their interaction with the grown-up world and with each other. Which is why there is a lot about The Losers, and about the three "agents of chaos" and the adults plots, and less and less about IT as time goes on. 

(Although I admit having IT turn up every few chapters to impotently threaten them got a bit repetitive and boring, which is why he bowed out at the start of Year 5 and didn't really return until the climax of the story). 

But still - I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it.

The rest of these notes are made up from various questions I received from various people. I thought I'd answer them all in one place - and not as the story went on - to avoid spoilers :)

_The Losers_

I originally intended to make the seven children a mirror of The Derry Losers, but in the end it didn't turn out that way. I retained a few traits - Hermione is obviously Big Bill, Neville suffers much like Eddie does, and Ginny's interaction with Ron is somewhat like Beverly and her father - but on the whole they are their own people, rather than simply being Bill, Mike, Eddie, Stan, Richie, Ben and Beverly.

_The Fears_

Given their general exposure to magic, I didn't see children of the magical world being scared of such mundane things as mummies, werewolves and giant birds.

However the idea of an eight year old girl who can manipulate the future would probably scare anyone. (I know "The Oracle Trilogy" is fiction, and the idea of Penelope still scares me!)

So I started to think about what might scare magical people - magical children - and came up with a few things.

_Flitick, Sprout, McGonagall and Snape_

As I have mentioned in other stories, I am not a fan of McGonagall. In all seven canon stories, she really only argues with Dumbledore once, and the rest of the time she seems to just act as his echo. So the idea that she would ever stand up to him just doesn't seem realistic. 

I'm also not a fan of Snape. The idea that he is "one of the bravest men Harry ever met" just doesn't hold water for me, and so I tend to keep him as a bad guy because he really is just out for himself.

Pomona and Filius, however, are not featured a great deal in the stories, and so they are more of a blank canvas. 

Which is why I tend to make them in to good guys (or at least tend not to make them in to bad guys). 

And after five years of watching Hermione and her friends, it seemed perfectly natural that when the time came for The Losers to leave school, Flitwick and Sprout would go with them.

_The Patronuses_

While the canon stories don't support the idea of human patronuses (and not patroni!), they don't specifically prohibit the idea either.

And at the point where they learn the spell, Harry, Luna, Ginny, Neville, Blaise and Sally have all more or less adopted Hermione as a mother/guardian and believe that she will always keep them safe. She is their happy thought.

Hermione's happy thought is the friend she had as a child, because who doesn't remember their first childhood friend?

The idea of using Patronuses as weapons is born out by using them to scare dementors, and if IT is the archetype of all your fears, then using the archetype of your "happy thought" to fight it seemed logical.

_Sirius being dark_

Even though Sirius would live and die for Harry, he doesn't do much of a job to standing up to Dumbledore. I would say that in this way he is a lot like McGonagall, and if Dumbledore told him that jumping off a cliff would "be for the greater good", I don't think he would hesitate to do it. 

_Ronald, Draco and Zach_

Clearly these three are supposed to be the Henry Bowers of the magical world. Each having their own reasons to hate Hermione and her friends they spend their lives trying to torment and torture them.

Which is why Draco and Ron end up dead. 

As for why Zach didn't end up dead - well, the truth is I could not find a way to kill him that didn't look forced and contrived. But if it helps to imagine it, he was killed trying to cross the street the summer after IT died.

_Rilla of Ingleside_

This is one of my most favourite books. Everything Luna says about it is true - it is a glorious work of fiction and everyone really should read it once in their life time.

It is also directly responsible for the idea of the ghosts of their "ancestors" to fight IT at the end, although the spell was also helped by The Power Of Three spell (from Charmed) to fight The Source.

Why did I pick who I picked?

Lily for Harry - fairly obvious. 

Cho for Luna - in this world, Cho was not one of the girls who bullied Luna, and was indeed her friend.

Alice for Neville - also fairly obvious.

Tom Riddle for Blaise - I have a theory that, once you die, you can see the whole of time and space, and understand the true meaning of everything. As a result, while Tom was a bit of a bastard while he was alive, and while he was trapped in the diary, I think that - once he passed beyond the veil - he would be more willing to help defeat the true evil of IT. Plus the idea of revenge on the creature that killed him was also a fairly good motivator. 

Ron for Ginny - much the same idea as Tom, except Ron was nowhere near as evil as Voldemort was.

Lucy for Sally - a friend and mentor, much like Cho for Luna.

Emily for Hermione - who else?

_Hermione's Faith_

I am not a religious person, but I was raised in a religious family, so I have a better than good idea how the Christian faith works and the various aspects of it. I also played in a school band and attended WAY more than my fair share of carol services between the age of 11 and 18. 

And since religion is generally ignored in Harry Potter stories, I thought I would have a go at writing one where it plays a part, if not a major one. 

But while I did include references to it, I didn't want it to be God (especially not a specific God) that defeated IT - I wanted it to be the children, working as a group. "Strength Through Unity, Unity Through Faith" - not their faith in some undefined divine being, but in each other. 

_The Jokes_

Originally the idea was to start every chapter with a joke, because I was planning on working it in to the Ritual of Chud at the end.

But by the time I got past Christmas in the first year, I was already forgetting to do it, and having to go back and add them. 

So when I realised this was going to be a way longer story than originally planned, I pretty much abandoned the idea of the jokes and also changed the ending so that the Ritual would not be the method of defeating IT - instead they would rely on themselves, their ancestors and the power of imagination.

_Hogwarts An Unofficial History_

I wanted to use a counterpart to Mike's history of Derry to give a bit of history of IT affecting the magical world. 

It kind of worked, but - with the exception of Part 5 - I think that the story can work just as well without it.

_Harry's Adoption, Ginny's adoption_

Harry's adoption was always planned - after Jennifer and Sidney learned about his situation at home, I didn't believe they would just sit around and let the Dursleys continue to abuse him. 

Plus "it was meant to be" - Harry and Hermione act more like brother and sister than anyone I have ever seen.

Ginny's adoption was a product of writing the story - it wasn't planned originally, but once Molly learned that her daughter was possessed (with some prompting from Ron), the idea she would try to obliviate Ginny to return her daughter to "factory state" (to so speak) wasn't so far fetched, and the idea that Ginny would stay with her family after the attempted mind-rape was laughable

_The Prophecy_

The way the original prophecy is worded it could not have possibly applied to Hermione, so I rewrote it a little to ensure that while people who knew about IT would know it (The Prophecy) was about Hermione, anyone who didn't (which was pretty much everyone else) could think it applied to Harry.

And, in the same way, Trelawney's second prophecy (during the final Divination Exam) was also equally applicable to both Harry and Hermione (from a certain point of view).

_Politics_

I have to admit that this is one of the first stories I have written that feature my various political views in a more than usually prominent place. (The other being "The 9th Floor, Series 1", but since that is a political story, it is slightly less surprising). 

But still, I only really brought them in where appropriate (I didn't have anyone making political speeches in the common room, or just bursting in to a rant for no apparent reason) and didn't overly labour the point. 

_The Lack of Voldemort_

You wouldn't think that lacking a Dark Lord would be a serious problem, but the number of times I had to go back and rewrite a few paragraphs (or even a few chapters) because I had forgotten that a given plot point (such as Hagrid's Dragon Egg) was only there because of Tom Riddle (who I had killed in the first chapter) was more than you might think. 

All in all, I am starting to understand WHY people use Voldemort as the big-bad in fanfiction. It's not because he is scary, but because it is easier than trying to invent a whole new one :)

Still - while he does have a big influence, a lot of what happened would happen with out him being present as well (Lucius and the diary, Barty Crouch and the Death Eaters at The World Cup, Umbridge) so the times I did have to do major rewrites were only for the big areas (Harry seeing the snake attacking Arthur, The Dragon Egg and so on). 

_Chapter Titles_

As I said, I have a tendency to reference other fandoms/things in stories - not least of which in chapter titles. 

So - for those who asked :-

Year 1 - The Troll, The Girl and The Clown  
Offhand reerence to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Year 2 - Strength Through Unity  
V For Vendetta (the film, rather than the book)

Year 2 - Strength Through Unity  
Ditto

Year 3 - Summer's Story  
Oblique reference to My "A New Dawn" Trilogy

Year 3 - No Good Deed  
Reference to "Wicked"

Year 3 - The Sharing of Terrible Secrets  
A quote from Little Women (when Laurie is introduce to the club and provides a birdhouse for communication)

Year 4 - Halfway Out Of The Dark  
A quote from "A Christmas Carol" (Doctor Who) in relation to Christmas

Year 4 - Every Purpose Under The Sun  
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, a reference to the fact they are doing all sorts of things in the chapter from preparing for the task, to learning to fly, to preparing for War against IT

Year 5 - The Art Of The Possible  
"Politics - the art of the possible" is a quote from Evita

Year 5 - The Three Edged Sword  
"Truth is a three edged sword" is a quote from Babylon 5, and a reference to the fact that Hermione tells Dumbledore some of the truth, but not all of it

Year 5 - Swords And Sorcery  
A name used to describe a certain genre of films. 

Year 5 - Bad Wolf  
A reference to Doctor Who Series 1 (2005) and, more directly, to Rose Tyler.

Year 5 - Silence Is All You Know  
"When you're alone, silence is all you know" (A Christmas Carol, Doctor Who)

Year 5 - Night Will Fall and The Dark Will Rise  
A Reference to "A Good Man Goes To War" (Doctor Who)

**Final Word**

As I said above, I started Into The Black on the 15th of November, 2010 and finished it today - 15th of January, 2013, giving a total writing time of 791 days (although obviously I haven't been writing this for all that time - in those 791 days, I have written six other complete stories, posted updates to two more and entered and won NaNoWriMo twice).

But now Into The Black is over, and - after a short break - I am going to return to some of the other stories I have been putting off while I finished the adventures of Hermione and The Losers.

Thank you for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoyed the ride.

(Angelholme, 15th Jan, 2013).


End file.
